Jul 16 2007
From The Space Library
NASA announced that it had signed a US $1.2 billion contract with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, California, to design, develop, test, and evaluate the J-2X engine that would power the upper stages of the Ares-I and Ares-V launch vehicles. The Ares-I and Ares-V would launch the spacecraft that replaced the Space Shuttle. The contract allowed the continuation of the work that had begun in June 2006 under a preliminary letter contract with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, extending the performance period through December 2012. The J-2X was an evolved version of two historic predecessors—the J-2 engine, which had propelled the Apollo-era Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets, and the J-2S, a simplified version of the J-2 engine that NASA had tested in the 1970s. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne had designed and developed both of those engines. According to Jeffrey M. Hanley, Manager of NASA’s Constellation Program, NASA had selected Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne without competitive bidding because the company was the only manufacturer that could meet the Ares design requirements and schedule goals.
NASA, “NASA Awards Upper Stage Engine Contract for Ares Rockets,” news release C07-030, 16 July 2007, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/jul/HQ_C07030_J2X_Contract.html (accessed 8 June 2010); Mark Carreau, “NASA Seals Deal on New Engine for Moon Rocket,” Houston Chronicle, 17 July 2007.
NASA Deputy Administrator Shana L. Dale and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President and Chief Executive Officer Laurier J. Boisvert signed the official agreement defining the terms of cooperation on the JWST , an international cooperative effort among NASA, CSA, and ESA. As the successor to NASA’s HST, the JWST would investigate the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems. Under the agreement, NASA would build the spacecraft, the telescope, and the platform hosting the instruments. NASA would also be responsible for the overall management and operations of the mission. CSA would provide the fine-guidance-sensor instrument, which would give the JWST the stability needed for capturing sharp images.
NASA, “NASA and Canada Sign Agreement for Future Cooperation,” news release 07-155, 16 July 2007, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/jul/HQ_07155_jwst_csa_mou.html (accessed 9 June 2010).
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