[Satnews] NASA has awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) wholly-owned subsidiary Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) a competitive indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) task order contract to support the development, demonstration and verification of advanced propulsion system technologies under the Research and Technologies for Aerospace Propulsion Systems 2 (RTAPS2) for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to work in partnership with NASA in order to demonstrate, and apply, our advanced engine technology to this program,” said Tom Crabb, ORBITEC’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “In support of this effort, we’ve assembled a blended team of organizations to provide technical expertise in each of their respective areas. Our team looks forward to supporting NASA to achieve their research and exploration objectives.”

The five-year task-order contract, which is valued at up to $50 million, will fund research in the area of space propulsion. This contract is specifically focused on propulsion system design and trade studies, including: liquid engine systems; propellant systems; electric propulsion; rocket-based combined-cycle propulsion systems; and advanced propulsion systems. To support the wide scope of the contract, ORBITEC has assembled a diverse team of large and small businesses and academic institutions to provide expert design, analysis, simulation, testing and flight qualification of propulsion systems and components. Utilizing the expertise of its team, ORBITEC will provide NASA with advanced space propulsion system technologies, a critical step to enhancing NASA’s long-term aerospace research and furthering its exploration goals.

The ORBITEC RTAPS2 team includes:

• Alpha-Port
• AP Solutions
• Barber-Nichols, Inc.
• Busek, Co., Inc.
• Concepts NREC
• CRAFT-Tech
• Fabrisonic, LLC
• Florida Commercial Propulsion and Power Systems, LLC
• Florida Turbine Technologies
• Garvey Spacecraft Corporation
• Holder Aerospace
• Lockheed Martin (LMCO-ATC)
• Made in Space, Inc.
• Moog, Inc.
• Milwaukee School of Engineering
• MTI Systems
• N&R Engineering
• Purdue University
• Redstone Aerospace Corporation
• Sierra Engineering
• Triton Systems
• University of Alabama, Hunstville
• University of Wisconsin, Madison
• ZIN Technologies, Inc.