NASA News: NASA Awards Software Services Contract

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- NASA has selected TASC Inc., of Andover, Mass., to
provide software services to the agency's Independent Verification
and Validation (IV&V) Facility in Fairmont, W.Va.

The services and support include independent verification and
validation; software assurance; research and development and
technical quality monitoring.

This cost-plus-award-fee contract has a total period of performance of
five years, including options and a potential value of $133.9 million.

TASC will provide services for system software developed by or for
NASA missions and other government, commercial and private
organizations in partnership with the agency.

For more information about NASA's IV&V Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ivv/home/index.html

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Exercises Contract Option For TDRS-M Satellite Decision Will Retain Hundreds Of Jobs

WASHINGTON -- NASA has elected to exercise the first of two available
contract options for procurement of an additional Tracking Data Relay
Satellite (TDRS) from Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc. of El Segundo,
Calif. The estimated value of the contract option is $289 million and
extends the period of performance through April 2024. Exercising the
option will allow Boeing Satellite Systems to retain at least 300
American jobs.

The TDRS-K Program contract, awarded in December 2007, is a
fixed-price incentive contract that directs Boeing Satellite Systems
to design, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, ship, provide launch
support, conduct in-orbit checkout operations and provide sustaining
engineering support for two TDRS spacecraft, TDRS-K and TDRS-L. The
original contract included options for two additional spacecraft
(TDRS-M and TDRS-N). This action exercises the option for TDRS-M.

"With the first-generation TDRS spacecraft retiring by 2015, NASA must
continue to replenish the fleet," said Pete Vrotsos, network services
director for Space Communications and Navigation at NASA Headquarters
in Washington. "TDRS-M is the agency's first step in assuring the
space network will meet NASA's and the U.S. government's relay
satellite requirements by 2017."

The TDRS Project is a national asset that provides critical support to
NASA science and human exploration missions and support to other
government agencies. The TDRS System Project is located at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

For more information about the TDRS Program, visit:

http://tdrs.gsfc.nasa.gov

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