NASA Selects Rapid III Contractors for Spacecraft Systems and Services
WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded contracts to eight aerospace firms for
Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition III spacecraft and related services.
Each contractor has one or more core spacecraft offerings available
under its Rapid III contract. All fixed price indefinite-delivery,
indefinite-quantity Rapid III contracts have a combined potential
maximum value of $4 billion.
The contractors selected for award of Rapid III contracts are: Ball
Aerospace & Technologies Corp in Boulder, Colo., General Dynamics
Advanced Information Systems in Gilbert, Ariz., Lockheed Martin
Corporation in Denver, Orbital Sciences Corp. in Dulles, Va., Surrey
Satellite Technology US LLC in Englewood, Colo., Northrop Grumman
Space & Mission Systems Corp in Redondo Beach, Calif., Thales Alenia
Space Italia in Rome, and Thales Alenia Space in France.
Rapid III is a multiple-award contract that provides a rapid and
flexible means for the government to acquire spacecraft and related
services in support of science and technology needs. The selected
contractors are now eligible to compete for future spacecraft systems
that NASA or other federal government agencies may require.
The principle purpose of the Rapid III contract is to provide core
spacecraft systems with any necessary modifications to meet specific
mission needs. The baseline scope of work includes design and
development of the core spacecraft, testing, payload integration and
test, launch operations support, and on-orbit checkout. The principle
work will be performed at the contractor's facility with additional
work required at the government launch site.
Additional opportunities to receive Rapid III contracts will be
available in the future. Qualified vendors may respond to periodic
opportunities that will be announced during the five-year contract
period.
For more information regarding Rapid III spacecraft vendors and their
core spacecraft offered, visit:
http://rsdo.gsfc.nasa.gov
For information about other NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
Source: NASA
