06.13.08

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4997

Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668
RELEASE: C08-037

NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR CONSTELLATION SPACESUIT FOR THE MOON

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a contract to Oceaneering International 
Inc. of Houston, for the design, development and production of a new 
spacesuit system. The spacesuit will protect astronauts during 
Constellation Program voyages to the International Space Station and, 
by 2020, the surface of the moon. 

The subcontractors to Oceaneering are Air-Lock Inc. of Milford, Conn., 
David Clark Co. of Worcester, Mass., Cimarron Software Services Inc. 
of Houston, Harris Corporation of Palm Bay, Fla., Honeywell 
International Inc. of Glendale, Ariz., Paragon Space Development 
Corp. of Tucson, Ariz., and United Space Alliance of Houston. 

"The award of the spacesuit contract completes the spaceflight 
hardware requirements for the Constellation Program's first human 
flight in 2015," said Jeff Hanley, Constellation program manager at 
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Contracts for the Orion crew 
capsule and the Ares I rocket were awarded during the past two years. 


The cost-plus-award-fee spacesuit contract includes a basic 
performance period from June 2008 to September 2014 that has a value 
of $183.8 million. During the performance period, Oceaneering and its 
subcontractors will conduct design, development, test, and evaluation 
work culminating in the manufacture, assembly, and first flight of 
the suit components needed for astronauts aboard the Orion crew 
exploration vehicle. The basic contract also includes initial work on 
the suit design needed for the lunar surface. 

"I am excited about the new partnership between NASA and Oceaneering," 
said Glenn Lutz, project manager for the spacesuit system at Johnson. 
"Now it is time for our spacesuit team to begin the journey together 
that ultimately will put new sets of boot prints on the moon." 

Suits and support systems will be needed for as many as four 
astronauts on moon voyages and as many as six space station 
travelers. For short trips to the moon, the suit design will support 
a week's worth of moon walks. The system also must be designed to 
support a significant number of moon walks during potential six-month 
lunar outpost expeditions. In addition, the spacesuit and support 
systems will provide contingency spacewalk capability and protection 
against the launch and landing environment, such as spacecraft cabin 
leaks. 

Two contract options may be awarded in the future as part of this 
contract. Option 1 covers completion of design, development, test and 
evaluation for the moon surface suit components. Option 1 would begin 
in October 2010 and run through September 2018, under a 
cost-plus-award fee structure with a total value of $302.1 million. 

Option 2 provides for the Orion suit production, processing and 
sustaining engineering under a cost-plus-award fee or a 
firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract 
structure with a maximum value of $260 million depending on hardware 
requirements. Option 2 would begin at the end of the basic 
performance period in October 2014, and would continue through 
September 2018. 

Images and animation of the new designs, as well as more information 
about NASA's Constellation Program, are available online at: 

http://www.nasa.gov/constellation 

To view a feature on the evolution of spacesuits, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/spacesuit_gallery 

	
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