Aug 15 2008
From The Space Library
NASA announced that it had decided to take corrective action in response to a bid protest against a contract awarded to Oceaneering International. Exploration Systems & Technology, a joint venture of Hamilton Sundstrand and ILC Dover, had filed the protest with GAO, after NASA had awarded a contract to a competitor. The contract, for the design, development, evaluation, testing, and production of spacesuits for the Constellation Program, carried an initial value of US$184 million. NASA had concluded that a compliance issue required it to terminate the contract, for the convenience of the U.S.government. Anticipating that it would have to reconsider its procurement decision, NASA had asked both companies to make limited revisions and to resubmit their proposals.
NASA, “NASA To Take Corrective Action in Spacesuit Contract Protest,” news release C08-053, 15 August 2011, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/aug/HQ_08053_Spacesuit_Protest.html (accessed 7 July 2011); David Ivanovich and Mark Carreau, “NASA Nixes Oceaneering’s Suit Contract; Reopens Bidding,” Houston Chronicle, 18 August 2008.
Engineers at NASA’s MSFC completed a series of tests on a main component of the J-2X engine, which powered the upper stage of the Ares-I rocket. This series of 20 tests was the second set of four planned series to test the J-2X’s workhorse gas generator, which drives the turbopumps that start the engine. The testing programs determined the gas generator’s combustion environment, durability, and performance, as well as reducing risk in the design, fabrication, and operation of flight hardware. The achieved objectives of this test series were to address stability issues in the gas chamber and to regulate ignition timing. Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne had fabricated the gas generator.
NASA, “NASA Engineers Complete Engine Test Series for Ares I Rocket,” news release 08-208, 18 August 2008, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/aug/HQ_08-208_Ares_engine_test.html (accessed 7 July 2011).
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