Scott Hartwig to head USA
Scott Q. Hartwig has been named to succeed Virginia Barnes as president and CEO of United Space Alliance. Barnes is returning to the Boeing Co. as the firm’s Space Launch System vice president and program manager in Huntsville, Ala., after heading USA for the past three years.
Most recently, Hartwig served as USA Vice president of aerospace services and mission operations and as the program manager for the Integrated Missions Operations Contract at the Johnson Space Center.
He joined the space program in 1984 at Rockwell International’s Space Systems Division in Downey, Calif., and moved to Rockwell Houston in 1986. In 1997 he was named director of Space Flight Training and Facility Operations, where he was responsible for space shuttle flight controller and astronaut training until his selection as first deputy associate program manager and then associate program manager.
Orbital Sciences launch a success
NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corp. successfully launched its Antares rocket from the new Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at the space agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The test flight was the first launch from the pad at Wallops and was the first flight of Antares, which delivered the equivalent mass of a spacecraft, a so-called mass simulated payload, into Earth’s orbit. The completed flight paves the way for a demonstration mission by Orbital to resupply the space station later this year.
Menchie’s opens 300th store here
Menchie’s, a global brand that has built its reputation on making each of its guests smile by providing an unparalleled frozen yogurt experience, has opened its 300th store at the corner of Space Center and Bay Area Boulevards — in the same shopping center as Subway.
“We opened for business and have really been embraced by the community,” said store owner, Jack Page. “In fact, we already had regular customers after just three days!”
His wife, Kelly, adds, “We are really excited to join the wonderful Bay Area community. We are newlyweds who undertook this project at the same time as we started planning our wedding. I am a Clear Lake native and my husband is a native Houstonian. We both went to University of Houston, and we currently reside in Clear Lake.”
NASA extends Lockheed pact
Lockheed Martin office building in Nassau Bay.
NASA has exercised a contract option with Lockheed Martin Corp. of Gaithersburg, Md., to provide continued mission control systems services, development, maintenance and operations support as part of the Facilities Development and Operations Contract.
The extension has a total estimated value of $166.8 million and extends the period of performance through Sept. 30, 2014 – increasing the total contract value to $1 billion.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will provide support for the hardware, software, data and displays systems used to train for and execute all human spaceflight missions supported by the Mission Operations Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. A significant subcontractor on this contract is Cimarron Software Services Inc. of Houston.
McKinnie earns CLTC designation
Jon R McKinnie, Bankers Life & Casualty senior agent, has been awarded a professional degree in the field of long-term care, Certified in Long Term Care (CLTC). The program is independent of the insurance industry and focuses on providing financial service professionals the tools needed to meet their client’s long-term care needs.
“The field of long-term care is complex. It intersects with other professions such as financial planning, tax law, home care, government funding and elder law. My ability to service the community depends on understanding what resources, such as housing and services, clients will need as they age and how they will be paid for,” McKinnie explained.
“I have had far too many families ask for my advice on what they can do after a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and some other chronic illness.”
MEI Technologies contract extended
NASA has extended its interim contract with MEI Technologies Inc. of Houston for electrical systems engineering services — from May 9 to Oct. 8.
The maximum ordering value of this indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract has been increased by about $50 million to a total of about $287 million.
Under this contract, MEI Inc. performs tasks that are necessary for the study, design, development, fabrication, integration, testing, verification, and operations of spaceflight, airborne, and ground system hardware and software.
SAIC awarded safety contract
SAIC offices on NASA Parkway in Nassau Bay.
NASA has selected Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) of McLean, Va., to provide safety and mission assurance engineering support services for the agency’s Johnson Space Center. The contract, which has a value of $202.5 million, has a three-year base period beginning Oct. 1, and a pair of one-year options that would extend the contract through September 2018. SAIC will support the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate in providing programmatic support to the International Space Station, Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Extravehicular Activity Office, Advanced Exploration Systems Office, and any future programs and projects performed by Johnson. Additionally, work will be performed at GHG Corp. in Webster and JES Tech in Clear Lake.
