Jul 13 2010
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 10-344
NASA SELECTS COMPANIES FOR FURTHER LUNAR DEMONSTRATIONS DATA
WASHINGTON -- NASA has issued delivery orders to three companies as part of its Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data (ILDD) project. Each order is worth $500,000 and will help develop vehicle capabilities and demonstrate end-to-end robotic lunar landing missions. The three companies selected are: -- Astrobotic Technology Inc., Pittsburgh -- Dynetics Inc., Huntsville, Ala. -- Moon Express Inc., San Francisco These companies are among six that received ILDD contract awards in October. After issuing the ILDD Broad Agency Announcement, NASA awarded six firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts, with a potential total value for all awarded contracts of up to $30.1 million during a period of up to five years. After those awards, each ILDD contractor submitted System Definition Review (SDR) packages, in which they identified their top risks. NASA invited the ILDD contractors in November to propose task plans for the delivery of data associated with a critical component demonstration test that addresses one or more of the SDR risk items. In response to the delivery orders NASA is now issuing, each of the three selected companies is expected to provide data capturing these results. The ILDD contracts also provide for issuing subsequent delivery orders that will specify data associated with system testing and integration, launch, in-space maneuvers, braking burns, lunar landing and other enhanced capabilities. Knowledge acquired from this data will be applied to the development of lander systems necessary to execute human and robotic missions to the moon, near-Earth asteroids or other solar system destinations. The data also will contribute to NASA's efforts to enable affordable and sustainable space exploration. The ILDD contracts are being managed by the Exploration Missions and Systems Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
-end-
MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-033
NASA TO PREVIEW APRIL FLIGHT OF SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
HOUSTON -- NASA will preview the next space shuttle mission during a series of news briefings on Tuesday, March 9, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the briefings live. Reporters will be able to ask questions from participating NASA locations. The STS-131 mission, targeted for launch April 5, will be shuttle Discovery's next-to-last flight and deliver critical spare parts and cargo to the International Space Station. A multipurpose logistics module will be carried inside the shuttle's payload bay and temporarily attached to the station during the mission. The cargo carrier will be brought back with the shuttle. Following STS-131, only three more shuttle flights are scheduled. Alan Poindexter will serve as the mission commander and James Dutton as the pilot. They will be joined by Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Clayton Anderson, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Dutton, Metcalf-Lindenburger and Yamazaki will be making their first trips into space. Metcalf-Lindenburger is a member of the cadre of former educators trained as mission specialists and the last of that group scheduled to fly on the shuttle. The schedule of briefings includes (all times CST): 8:00 a.m. -- Program Overview 9:30 a.m. -- STS-131 Mission Overview 11:30 a.m. -- STS-131 Spacewalk Overview 1:00 p.m. -- STS-131 Crew News Conference The crew will be available for interviews at Johnson after the briefings. Reporters must contact Gayle Frere at 281-483-8645 by March 5 to reserve an interview opportunity. Reporters planning to attend the briefings in Houston must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 by 5 p.m. CST on March 3 for credentials. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For the latest information about the STS-131 mission and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
-end-
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
