During the 24-month contract period that continues to Sept. 30, 2010, Boeing expects to apply additional resources to supporting NASA on ISS operations and sustainment as the assembly missions are completed. The contract also provides funding for the management of a majority of ISS subsystems and for specialized ground-based engineering work in disciplines such as materials, electrical parts, environments and electromagnetic effects.
The ISS is a test bed for building and maintaining large structures in space and a laboratory for conducting science and technology research. Structures and technologies needed for living on the moon and for Mars exploration will be realized through experiments on the station. Space Shuttle Endeavour will return to the ISS in November for the first of six remaining assembly missions.
"This contract extension allows NASA and the United States to stay on the right path to complete the station by 2010," said Brewster Shaw, vice president and general manager of Boeing's Space Exploration division. "Boeing is pleased that NASA continues to have confidence in the company's ability to support the agency's exploration mission."
As NASA's prime ISS contractor, Boeing has had engineering responsibility for all 18 major U.S.-built elements as well as for integrating all elements built by international partners, such as Japan's Kibo Laboratory and Italy's Harmony utility node. The team's move into a sustaining engineering role makes way for industry and NASA to fully exploit the largest, most complex international scientific project in history.
"Working with NASA, international partners and suppliers to accomplish on-orbit assembly while contributing significantly to scientific research has been truly amazing," said Joy Bryant, ISS vice president and program manager for Boeing. "Virtually all of the hardware and software on station has been performing superbly, with better-than-expected reliability and life spans."
The delivery of more than 400 items on Endeavour's STS-126 mission will prepare the ISS for its future six-member crew and for the final major U.S. and Boeing-built element, the Starboard 6 Truss Segment. This fourth truss element and power module, to be delivered to the ISS in 2009, will ensure the station has enough power to accommodate NASA's planned science activities and support the additional crew members.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems ( http://www.boeing.com/ids/) is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.1 billion business with 71,000 employees worldwide.
Web site: http://www.boeing.com/