Tuesday, August 31, 2010

NASA extends USA shuttle operations contract

NASA today announced a nearly $1 billion extension of its shuttle operations contract with Houston-based United Space Alliance.

The extension was a formality necessary to match up with a flight manifest that now has the final two shuttle missions scheduled Nov. 1 and Feburary 26.

The existing Space Program Operations Contract was set to expire Sept. 30, when shuttle flights were once scheduled to have been completed.

The extension runs through March 31, 2011, at a cost of $909,593,590 and includes support for International Space Station flight operations. An additional extension would follow if Congress approves a third shuttle mission next summer.

The extension has no impact on USA's plan to reduce its Kennedy Space Center workforce, now about 5,100 strong, as the shuttle program gradually winds down.

Read the NASA press release here.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

March of 2011 is around the corner! but it is good to know that the knowledge will not be dumped in the trash and wait for the future generations to re invent the wheel...
The bank of human knowledge builds upon generation after generation...let´s not have a dumber one coming up...so far it seems we are headed that way.

Anonymous said...

153 Million Dollars a month for six months. WHEW!!!!

Anonymous said...

$1 Billion dollars to keep these dinosaurs flying another 6 months? What a waste of tax payer dollars. Sorry but your business model is outdated by 30 years NASA; time to clean house of your aging union staff and breath new life into the future of U.S. Space Flight.

Anonymous said...

Man what a waste of money

Anonymous said...

So, not the missions, but just the DELAY of the missions is going to cost $500,000,000 each? That's some serious bread.

Anonymous said...

The axe is coming. Just a longer misery.

Anonymous said...

Good Grief, almost a BILLION dollars for a year extension? They are doing this with at least 1000 fewer people after the layoffs start.They just gave the union troops a black-eye contract(worst in KSC history)Anyone want to take a wag at who is fattening their wallets?

Anonymous said...

It was my understanding that USA was formed to manage shuttle program operations. So, doesn't this mean that their contract covers just salaries for the USA employees that work shuttle (total USA employees = ??)? In that case for a six month contract extension, one billion dollars seems like a lot of money if they are not buying and/or testing hardware. Does that also mean that USA adds 2 billion dollars to the yearly cost of the shuttle program that is funded, I believe, at a level of just $6 billion a year? What am I missing?

Anonymous said...

The space shuttle costs too much money. I enjoyed working on the program but it needs to be replaced. Go Space X.

Anonymous said...

Actually, why didn't USA stop the layoffs for now? The reduction in numbers was based on money before this announcement. It is already tough to support our NASA customers, but, without delaying the layoffs, it is going to be MUCH harder... And, to all that say get rid of it, I say, with what?????