Lockheed Martin's Consolidated Space Operations Contract (CSOC) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Arcata Associates, Inc., a Nevada-based business, to provide teleconferencing capabilities to NASA.

Under the terms of the agreement, Arcata will perform Video Teleconferencing/Voice Teleconferencing/Facsimile (ViTS/VoTS/Fax) services through CSOC. This subcontract, which is potentially worth up to $55 million over 7 years, is expected to save NASA approximately $1.8 million per year.

On Wednesday, February 27, 2002, Doug Tighe, program manager for CSOC, attended an official recognition ceremony in Washington D.C. in which Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) congratulated both Dr. Tighe and Tim Wong, president of Arcata Associates, Inc. on the subcontract agreement.

Arcata is one of CSOC's Small or Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) involved in NASA's Mentor-Protege program. The Mentor-Protege program fosters the development of Small Disadvantaged Businesses 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.

"We are pleased to be able to involve one of our SDBs in this cost-saving initiative," said Tighe. "It not only benefits the small business itself, but it helps CSOC maintain its aggressive Small and Disadvantaged Business goals of allotting 26.1% of the contract efforts to include these businesses."

Currently, 16 of the 40 subcontractors on the CSOC contract are SDBs.

"This agreement is not only significant to Arcata financially, but it also provides us with the opportunity to expand our technical capabilities into the area of video and voice teleconferencing," said Wong. "This work has high visibility and is critical to communications within the NASA community both domestically and internationally."

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 and 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 (LMSO) is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Technology Services headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. LMSO, a high-tech engineering and science services firm, employs about 4,000 engineers, scientists and support personnel. Services include managing CSOC; 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.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Space Operations