Oceaneering International has signed a letter contract with the NASA for development and production of the Constellation Space Suit System (CSSS), a new space suit for solar system exploration.

The CSSS is a key component of the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) System for NASA's Space Exploration program. It will be used to sustain the U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, help establish an outpost on the moon, and lay the foundation for further exploration. Oceaneering will start work immediately, and the letter contract will be finalized within six months. Oceaneering anticipates that the final contract will include a base period of approximately six years, and have an estimated value of over $180 million. Oceaneering will design and build the Configuration 1 CSSS, which will be used during launch, abort, and re-entry of the new Orion spacecraft, and for contingency extravehicular activity. The contract also includes options to build additional Configuration 1 suits, provide ongoing CSSS-related operational and training support, and design and build the CSSS Configuration 2 suit, which will be used for activities on the lunar surface. These options would extend the contract through 2020.

The Oceaneering-led team includes United Space Alliance, LLC, David Clark Company Incorporated and its subsidiary Air-Lock, Incorporated, Harris Corporation, Cimarron Software Services, Inc., Paragon Space Development Corporation, Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, and ILC Dover LP.