Lockheed Martin Space Operations (LMSO) has been awarded an eight-year, cost-plus-award-fee contract, valued at $314,207,343 to support NASA's Ames Research Center in conducting research, developing products, and serving the space community in astrobiology and related areas of earth, space, and life sciences. Lockheed Martin will provide scientific support, project management, administration, hardware development and mission operations services.

"We are delighted that NASA has selected Lockheed Martin to continue its support of the important research Ames Research Center (ARC) conducts for America's space program," said Kenneth S. Reightler, senior vice president, Lockheed Martin Space Operations. "We are proud of our record of helping NASA achieve mission success at ARC where we have provided uninterrupted support since 1988 and look forward to providing continued, outstanding service to the space agency in the years ahead."

Under this Astrobiology and Space Research (A&SR) programs and projects services contract, the company will support research in life sciences to study the role and influence of gravity on living systems, from cells in culture to physiological studies in animals and humans. Through a better understanding of fundamental physiology will come knowledge useful for both the maintenance of human health on Earth and the development of countermeasures to the effects of weightlessness.

The contract also funds support of research programs that are structured around the study of origins and evolution of stars, planets, planetary atmospheres, and life, and address some of the most fundamental questions pursued by science, questions that examine the origin of life and of our place in the universe.

Lockheed Martin scientists will also help NASA focus on scientific issues associated with global change, particularly in areas concerned with atmospheric and ecosystem science and biosphere/atmosphere interaction. Lockheed Martin's site manager will be Marvin Christensen, a veteran of over 30 years in support of NASA programs.

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.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Space Operations