NASA Awards Payload Processing Contract

June 22, 2007

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-26

NASA AWARDS PAYLOAD PROCESSING CONTRACT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Launch Services Program has awarded a
pair of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to
Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., and Spaceport Systems
International in Colorado Springs, Colo. The companies will provide
the necessary facilities to perform payload processing services for
NASA missions launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The
aggregate value of available firm-fixed-price orders under the two
contracts could be worth up to $35 million over a maximum of four
years, which includes two 1-year options.

Astrotech and Spaceport Systems International will use their
respective Vandenberg facilities to support the final assembly of
spacecraft and encapsulate them before they are taken to the launch
pad. While processing requirements differ depending on the spacecraft
and mission, they usually include final assembly and testing,
integration with a third stage or adapter, propellant loading and
spin balancing. Such tasks typically begin about three months before
the scheduled launch.

Astrotech is a subsidiary of SPACEHAB, Inc., Webster, Texas, and
operates payload processing facilities in Titusville and at
Vandenberg. The company was incorporated in 1984 as a commercial
launch payload processor.

Spaceport Systems International is in partnership with ITT
Corporation, White Plains, N.Y. The company's facilities are used to
process payloads for NASA and commercial interests.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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