Cites Facilities, Expertise, Past Performance
The long list of
companies vying for a piece of NASA's Commercial Orbital
Transportation Service (COTS) program added another well-known name
Thursday, as Spacehab, Inc. officially threw its hat into the ring.
The company is competing for the opportunity to serve as NASA's
supplier of commercial International Space Station logistics
services.
"NASA is seeking a commercial service to provide cargo
transportation to and from the International Space Station, and we
have been doing a major part of that job for the past decade," said
Spacehab President and CEO Michael E. Kearney. "I am confident our
proven expertise and established infrastructure in this area, and
the versatility that our approach provides, give us an advantage in
this competition."
To win a COTS contract, Spacehab is banking on its hands-on
experience in architecting, defining, developing and operating
commercial space flight asset services. As commercial payload
service supplier to the space shuttle program and commercial cargo
service provider to both the space station Mir and the
International Space Station programs, Spacehab has a unique
understanding of the challenges inherent in commercial crew and
cargo services.
Also, as a participant in a number of applicable NASA space
architecture studies including Alternate Access to Station, Orbital
Space Plane, and NASA's Lunar Exploration System of Systems,
Spacehab has been involved in major NASA cargo transportation
system trade studies that drive out optimum solutions.
While responding to NASA's COTS proposal as a prime team member,
Spacehab is supporting alternate team proposals in a subcontractor
role.
"Regardless of which teams are selected to support this
demonstration, Spacehab expects to benefit from this availability
of commercial services since we know best the space market and how
to develop that market," added Kearney. "When a commercial service
to low earth orbit is established, our unique payload processing
facilities, our cargo processing expertise, and our knowledge of
supporting humans in space will be key to accomplishing any
commercial space activities on the International Space
Station."
As Aero-News reported earlier this
month, the deadline for proposal submission to NASA is
March 3, 2006 with one or more awards expected to be announced in
May 2006. Several other companies -- such as SpaceX, t/Space,
SpaceDev, Constellation Services International, AirLaunch LLC,
SpaceHab, Andrews Space, Rocketplane Ltd., Universal Space Lines
and Bigelow Aerospace all competing for prime and/or subcontractor
accounts.
NASA states he objective of the spaceflight capability
demonstrations is to stimulate commercial enterprises in space and
lead to innovative, cost effective access to low-Earth orbit.
Should its bid be accepted, Spacehab says it will commence
development of its COTS solution, demonstrating its capability to
rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station to dispose
of, or return, needed equipment and supplies.