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Officials at Lockheed Martin Space Operations announced that its Consolidated Space Operations Contract (CSOC) is scheduled to open the first in a series of CSOC-sponsored storefronts at Prairie View A & M University (PVAMU), Prairie View, Texas, on Sept. 6, 2001.
CSOC's storefront program involves setting up a mentoring environment near or on selected university campuses, where students are then trained and hired to perform software engineering work under the supervision of CSOC and one of its subcontractor companies.
"The work will not only provide students with real world, corporate experience, but it will generate substantial savings to NASA in software sustainment costs as a result of lower labor costs," said Dr. Doug Tighe, program manager for CSOC. "In addition, we hope that as a result of their exposure to this type of work, students will seriously explore the career opportunities available in the space industry upon graduation."
The universities being targeted by the CSOC program are Historically Black College/Universities (HBCU's) and Minority Educational Institutions (MEI's). These specific universities are targeted to support NASA's goal of having 1% of all prime and subcontractor monies directed to support HBCU's and MEI's.
Each CSOC-sponsored storefront will be managed by one of the contract's Small or Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) as part of NASA's Mentor-Protege program. The Mentor-Protege program fosters the development of Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) qualified to participate as a subcontractor or supplier on our country's major space contracts. The program provides a congressionally recognized framework through which major prime contractors and subcontractors can enhance the capabilities and involvement of SDBs. Currently, 16 of the 40 subcontractors on the CSOC contract are SDBs.
The SDB involved in PVAMU's storefront is Cimarron, a woman-owned business located in Houston.
"The storefront program will enable CSOC to foster strategic alliances with the colleges and universities, specifically the HBCUs and MEIs, in the geographic districts near our CSOC NASA centers," said Nancy Patterson, (JSC Engineering Director for CSOC). "It's a win-win situation for CSOC, our SDBs, NASA, the universities and its students."
A second CSOC storefront is currently being initiated in Huntsville, AL and other future locations are being considered.
CSOC is a $3-billion-plus contract awarded by NASA to Lockheed Martin, who serves as the prime contractor to provide end-to-end space operations Mission and Data Services to both NASA and non-NASA customers. CSOC manages NASA's data collection, telemetry and communications operations that support Earth-orbiting satellites, planetary exploration, and human space flight activities. Services include data acquisition from spacecraft, data transmission to end-users, data processing and storage, ground and space communications, and mission control center operations.
Lockheed Martin Space Operations, a business unit of Lockheed Martin Technology Services headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is a high-technology company with about 4,000 engineers, scientists and support personnel. Services include data collection, telemetry, and communication operations support for NASA; software and hardware engineering for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station; mission operations and planning systems design, development, and integration; and human life sciences research.
SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Space Operations
Contact: Andrea Pierce, +1-281-853-3395,
for Lockheed Martin Space Operations