[Satellite TODAY 08-31-10] Raytheon subsidiary Raytheon Technical Services Co. (RTSC) signed a deal with NASA to support facilities and operations for astronaut training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Sonny Carter Training Facility in Houston, the company announced Aug. 30.
    The contract, valued up to $120 million, will see RTSC operate, maintain and perform engineering services for equipment and software used at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) from October 2010 to the end of September 2015, if all options are exercised. 
    RTSC Vice President of Mission Support Operations Bill Toti said the company will work with NASA to provide astronauts and their flight support teams with the solutions needed to achieve mission success. “NBL and SVMF are world-class astronaut training facilities, and our continued partnership with NASA gives us an opportunity to innovate and optimize the facilities for commercial application.”
    RTSC will dedicate approximately 70 employees to supporting NASA’s laboratory, mockup facility and operations that provide zero-gravity or partial-gravity training to astronauts in the space shuttle and International Space Station programs. In addition to astronaut training, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility supports other engineering activities at the Johnson Space Center.
    The Raytheon support facilities deal builds on the company’s program contract work with NASA, which includes a subcontract to provide support for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Rapid Response Space Works (RRSW) program announced earlier this year.
    The RRSW activities include mission coordination, design, development, procurement, assembly, integration, test, on-orbit, launch and ground system support. NASA will play a role in planning, acquisition and operations of ORS efforts. The RRSW program is part of a NASA effort to meet future military space needs. The program also includes development work for Modular Space Vehicles. Combined, the program’s development contracts share a maximum value of $500 million.

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