Two satellites should be raring to go later this year from Spacehab Inc.'s Astrotech subsidiary. Two contracts totaling $3.2 million from United Launch Alliance (ULA) in support of the ground processing of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, GOES O&P, in which both satellites are scheduled for launch in 2009.

The two mission contract is part of a multi-mission GOES series (N-P) in which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will use the collected data to aid activities ranging from severe storm warnings to resource management and advances in science.

"We look forward to once again contributing to the success of the GOES program, and our ULA, NOAA and NASA customers," explains Don M. White Jr., Astrotech General Manger. "The GOES O and P satellites follow six previous GOES satellites processed at Astrotech."

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin that operates space launch systems using the Atlas V, Delta II, and Delta IV rockets. ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located in Decatur, Alabama, Harlingen, Texas, San Diego, California, and Denver, Colorado. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.