Apr 8 2010

From The Space Library

CONTRACT RELEASE: C10-029

NASA AWARDS GLOBAL PRECIPITATION MEASUREMENT MICROWAVE IMAGER

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a sole source contract to Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp. of Boulder, Colo., for the Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager instrument Flight Unit 2. The Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission will use an international constellation of satellites to study global rain, snow and ice to better understand our climate, weather, and hydrometeorological processes. Under this contract, Ball Aerospace and Technology will manufacture, test and deliver the GMI instrument Flight Unit 2, support instrument integration on the spacecraft and provide launch and post-launch support. The GMI Flight Unit 2 will be identical to the GMI Flight Unit 1 and will be manufactured in series with GMI 1. GMI 1 is scheduled to fly in 2013 on the GPM Core Observatory. This is a cost-plus-award fee, incentive fee contract in the amount of approximately $48.5 million with a period of performance from Oct. 9, 2009, through March 31, 2016. The GMI instrument, a multi-channel, conical-scanning, microwave radiometer, will measure Earth's atmospheric moisture with near-global coverage. The GMI Flight Unit 2 is planned to fly on a GPM partner-provided spacecraft in a low-inclination orbit as part of the GPM constellation with a targeted launch date of 2014. It will contribute to GPM by enhancing monitoring of hurricanes and mid-latitude storms and improving estimates of rainfall accumulation.

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RELEASE: 10-046

NASA SUPPORTS UNIVISION HISPANIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, PLANS ONGOING PARTNERSHIP

WASHINGTON -- NASA is working with Univision Communications Inc. to develop a partnership in support of the Spanish-language media outlet's initiative to improve high school graduation rates, prepare Hispanic students for college, and encourage them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden attended Univision's announcement Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington of a three-year national Hispanic education initiative titled Es El Momento (The Moment is Now). "Education is a vital component of NASA's mission, Bolden said. We look forward to developing a partnership with Univision that would allow us to combine NASA's unique STEM education content with Univision's communications platforms -- television, radio, and online and interactive media. Also present at the event were Univision President and CEO Joe Uva, Univision Networks President Cesar Conde, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and philanthropist Melinda Gates. Organizations partnering on this initiative include the U.S. Department of Education and the Gates Foundation. Collaboration with Univision will complement NASA's current education efforts to engage underrepresented and underserved students in the critical STEM fields.

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CONTRACT RELEASE: C10-078

NASA AWARDS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH SUPPORT CONTRACT

HAMPTON, Va. -- NASA selected Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) of Lanham, Md., to provide science, technology and research support services for the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. The five-year maximum value of the Science, Technology and Research Support Services contract is $425 million. SSAI will support work in Earth and planetary atmospheric science, research and technology at Langley's Atmospheric Sciences Data Center. The work will support requirements in science; algorithm development, implementation and maintenance; interpretation, analysis, validation and models; field missions; space mission, payload and instrument operations; atmospheric science data center and science computing systems; instrument development; communications and outreach.

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MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-115

NASA ANNOUNCES COMMERCIAL CREW INITIATIVE FORUM

WASHINGTON -- NASA is hosting a forum to present an overview of common themes captured from industry responses to NASA's Commercial Crew Initiative Request For Information (RFI). The forum is scheduled for 9 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 19 at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington. The RFI, issued on May 21, collected information from industry to help NASA plan the overall strategy for the development and demonstration of a commercial crew transport capability and to receive comments on NASA human-rating technical requirements. The Aug. 19 forum will include discussion about how NASA is addressing the common themes in the responses and presentations on the availability of agency facilities and the availability of service arrangements for commercial providers. NASA managers also will participate in a question-and-answer session. Media interested in attending the conference must register by 5 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Aug. 18 with Michael Braukus at: michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov The forum will be broadcast live on NASA Television and online via an agency webcast. Viewers can to ask real-time questions and offer comments online. For the Aug. 19 webcast, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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