[SatNews] A contract extension is always a joy to behold.

NASA has extended the Space Program Operations Contract with United Space Alliance, LLC, of Houston to March 31, 2011. The $909,593,590 contract extension supports flight operations for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. The contract provides mission design and planning, astronaut and flight controller training, system integration, flight operations, vehicle processing, launch and recovery, vehicle sustaining engineering, and flight crew equipment processing. This is a cost reimbursement contract with award and performance fees. Work will be performed at United Space Alliance facilities in Houston, Huntsville, Alabama, and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as well as major subcontractor facilities in Huntington Beach, California, Houston, and Cape Canaveral, Florida. Significant subcontractors include Barrios Technology, LTD of Houston, Bastion Technologies, Inc. of Houston, Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems of Newtown, Pennsylvania, Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, California, and The Boeing Company of Houston.