NASA restructuring contracting program

NASA is restructuring its contracting program as the agency's missions change. Contractors are anticipating a new initiative worth millions over nearly 10 years. The initiative, known as the Test and Operations Support Contract, covers ground systems work now being done by Boeing and the United Space Alliance. The new program would provide NASA with services related to managing the ground systems used for flight launches, such as maintaining equipment, overseeing landings and performing simulations and experiments. (Source: Washington Post, 09/25/11) Gulf Coast note: In this region NASA has Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans.

GE Aviation encouraged about future

Ohio-based GE Aviation is marking 40 years in the commercial aviation business and feeling good about the future. The company landed orders for more than $27 billion in engines and services at the Paris Air Show in June, and GE Aviation is ramping up production. It added 1,000 jobs across its U.S. manufacturing operations over the past three years and plans to add another 1,000 over the next three years. That includes 200 jobs in Dayton, Ohio, 400 new jobs at two component plants in Mississippi and 400 more across its 20 U.S. operating plants. (Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, 09/25/11) Gulf Coast note: One of the Mississippi plants is in Ellisville, near Hattiesburg.

Aero medical lab moves to Ohio

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A long-time member of Naval Air Station Pensacola closed its doors earlier this month for points north. The Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory closed Sept. 2 and moved to new facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The move of the lab, which employed 65, was dictated by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2005. Wright-Patterson is headquarters of the Air Force Research Laboratory. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 09/25/11)

Contract: Jacobs Technology, $42.4M

Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded $42,442,430 under a previously awarded contract. This effort is for the continuity of services contract to continue information technology services until the transition to the next generation Enterprise Network is accomplished. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and is expected to be completed in June 2014. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals with two offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/23/11)

Contracts: L-3 Vertex, $48.8M

L-3 Communications Systems Field Support, Vertex Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $48,797,627 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded ontract to exercise an option for aircraft maintenance and logistical life cycle support for 66 C-12 aircraft for the Navy (55) and the Marine Corps (11). Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lincoln, Neb.; and Winnipeg, Canada. Work will also be performed in various locations both inside and outside the continental United States, including: Yuma, Ariz.; Washington, D.C.; New Orleans, La.; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Jacksonville, Fla.; Miramar, Calif.; New River, N.C.; Norfolk, Va.; Patuxent River, Md.; Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; Manassas, Va.; Japan; Cuba; and Bahrain. Work is expected to be completed in September 2012. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/22/11)

Contracts: Northrop Grumman, $17M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $17,098,027 contract for the Rapid Deployment Capability Weaponization Program in support of the MQ-8B Fire Scout System. This contract includes the installation, engineering, manufacturing, and data development of the weapons systems. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and Grand Rapids, Mich., and is expected to be completed in March 2013. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/22/11) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

RS-68A completes test series

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne successfully completed a series of hot-fire tests on the certified RS-68A engine, the world's most powerful hydrogen-fueled engine, at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss. The tests demonstrated the capability of the engine to operate for 4,800 seconds of cumulative run time, four times the design life of the engine and more than 10 times what's needed to boost a United Launch Alliance heavy-lift rocket into space. The RS-68A, which evolved from the RS-68, is a liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen booster engine designed for the Delta IV family of launch vehicles. In addition, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NASA has begun testing on the upper-stage J-2X engine. To date, five hot-fire tests have been conducted on the J-2X, which could be used to boost humans beyond low-Earth orbit. (Source: Pratt & Whitney via PRNewswire, 09/22/11)

United Technologies to buy Goodrich

United Technologies Corp. reached agreement to buy Goodrich Corp. for $18.4 billion, including $1.9 billion in net debt assumed. Closing is subject to customary approvals. Once completed, United Technologies, of Hartford, Conn., is expected to have worldwide sales of $66 billion based on projected 2011 results, and a stronger position in the aerospace and defense industry. Goodrich, based in Charlotte, N.C., supplies landing gear, aircraft wheels and brakes to the aerospace and defense industry. United Technology builds engines, helicopters and other aviation-related products. (Source: PRNewswire, 09/21/11) Gulf Coast note: Goodrich has its Alabama Service Center in Foley, Ala. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a United Technologies company, assembles and tests rockets at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

New STEM curriculum released

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The Stennis Education Office has released its new "Food for Thought" teaching curriculum and interactive website. It uses the idea of food in space to teach students such topics as caloric content and nutritional value of food, while challenging them to build space robots, design a better microgravity coffee cup and create a space cookie recipe. The curriculum is the third produced by the Stennis education team, all within the last 15 months. It's part of NASA's Teaching from Space initiative, designed to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning by students. (Source: NASA, 09/09/11)

Contract: Del-Jen, $24.6M

Del-Jen Inc., Clarksville, Tenn., is being awarded a $24,640,037 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to exercise option four, for base operations support services at Naval Air Station Pensacola and surrounding areas (Saufley Field, Corry Station, and Bronson Field). The work to be performed provides for public works administration including labor, management, supervision, materials, supplies and more. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $118,523,007. Work will be performed in Pensacola, Fla., and is expected to be completed by September 2012. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/21/11)

Florida joining Aerospace Alliance

SANDESTIN, Fla. – The inaugural Aerospace Alliance Summit drew about 140 participants to Sandestin Beach Resort over two days to discuss ways expand the industry in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Florida officials said the entire state will be joining the Alliance formed more than two-years ago. Up to now, Florida was represented by Florida's Great Northwest, an economic development group. "Florida is proud to be a partner, a full partner," said Florida lieutenant governor Jennifer Carroll. The summit was attended by a variety of aerospace companies, economic development officials and business leaders from the four states. Organizers say plans are to hold another summit next year in one of the four states that are part of the group. (Source: MobilePress-Register, Northwest Florida Daily News, 09/16/11)

Contract: Rehabilitation Svcs, $8.1M

Rehabilitation Services Mississippi, Madison, Miss., is being awarded an $8,113,168 firm-fixed-price contract modification to provide full food services at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The 81st Contracting Squadron, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/15/11)

NASA unveils SLS

NASA unveiled plans for the Space Launch System rocket, designed to take astronauts into deep space. Administrator Charles Bolden said at a Wednesday news conference that the heavy-lift SLS, more powerful than the Saturn V, will fly in 2017. It will allow astronauts to reach asteroids and Mars. SLS will be designed to carry the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, as well as cargo, equipment and science experiments, and serve as backup for transportation services to the International Space Station. It will use technologies from the Space Shuttle and Constellation programs to leverage proven hardware and tooling and manufacturing technology. It will use a liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propulsion system, which will include the RS-25D/E from the Space Shuttle for the core stage and the J-2X engine for the upper stage. (Sources: Multiple, including Huntsville Times, Space Travel, Los Angeles Times, 09/14/11) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., does rocket engine testing and assembly of the J-2X. It tested all the Space Shuttle Main Engines. Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, has been working on Orion.(Story) It's likely to play a role in development of the SLS.

Flight worthy Orion build begins

NASA photo

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Construction began last week on the first new NASA spacecraft built to take humans to orbit since space shuttle Endeavour left the factory in 1991. Engineers at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans started welding together the first space-bound Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. The first welds were completed Friday using an innovative new friction stir welding process, developed especially for Orion construction. The process creates a seamless, leak-proof bond that has proven stronger and higher in quality than can be achieved with conventional welding. After welding is completed at Michoud, the Orion spacecraft orbital test article will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the heat shield will be installed. At Kennedy, it will undergo final assembly and checkout operations for flight. The first “flight worthy” Orion is set to launch in the summer of 2013. (Source: NASA, 09/09/11)

Navy to buy larger Fire Scouts

Northrop Grumman photo

The Navy is to award Northrop Grumman a contract to supply 28 MQ-8C Fire Scout "rapid deployment capability" unmanned helicopters using the larger Bell 407 helicopter airframe to increase endurance and payload. The notice of intent says the aircraft are to be fielded by the first quarter of 2014. The Navy also evaluated the Boeing Hummingbird and Lockheed Martin/Kaman K-Max, but opted for the 407 airframe jointly developed by Northrop Grumman and Bell as the Fire-X and first flown in December. The MQ-8C will use the same systems as the MQ-8B, which is on the smaller Schweizer 333 helicopter airframe. (Source: Aviation Week, 09/09/11) Gulf Coast note: The MQ-8B is built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

Development gets mine defense business

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The St. Joe Co. on Thursday officially welcomed ITT Corp.'s mine defense business to the VentureCrossings Enterprise Centre at West Bay, the development's first corporate tenant. ITT will be moving into a 105,000-square-foot facility. VentureCrossings is St. Joe's initial project in the West Bay Sector Plan, a 75,000-acre development that will include office, industrial, manufacturing, hotel, retail and residential uses. Sites offer direct ramp access and access to the 10,000-foot runway at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 09/08/11)

Contract: CYE, $25M

CYE Enterprises Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to furnish all plants, materials, labor, equipment, and all operations in connection with repairing and replacing roofs, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., per the statement of work and roofing specifications. AAC/PKOA, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/08/11)

Contract: Jacobs, $20.2M

Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., is being awarded a $20,255,460 indefinite-delivery, quantity cost-plus-award-fee, and cost-reimbursement contract modification to provide technical, engineering, and acquisition support at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/08/11)

NG sees global sales opportunities

Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush said his company, which builds the Global Hawk surveillance plane, can bolster its international sales of unmanned systems. He also said at the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit that he felt the U.S. government was taking steps to try to loosen export curbs on some arms. The Obama administration has been consulting Congress on plans to sell unmanned Global Hawks to South Korea. International sales currently are less than 10 percent of Northrop Grumman’s overall sales. (Source: Reuters, 09/07/11) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are made in part in Moss Point, Miss.

Contract: MacAulay-Brown, $26M

MacAulay-Brown, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded a $25,969,228 firm-fixed-price delivery order with estimated cost line items under General Services Administration multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity alliant government-wide acquisition contract for information technology and intelligence services. Specialized Contracting, HQ AFSOC/A7KQ, Hurlburt Field, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/02/11)