Sept 9, 2009

J D Harrington Headquarters, Washington 202-358-5241 j d harrington@nasa gov

Alan Brown Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif 661-276-2665 alan brown@nasa gov

CONTRACT RELEASE: C09-044

NASA AWARDS SOFIA CONTRACT OPTION TO L-3 COMMUNICATIONS

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a contract modification to L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, L P , of Waco, Texas, for further developmental engineering in support of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy mission, known as SOFIA

This option modification under the base contract L-3 currently holds extends the period of performance through Dec 31, 2009 The option is valued at approximately $8 7 million, bringing the total value of the contract to about $37 7 million

The initial cost-plus-award-fee contract took effect Feb 9, 2007, with a 23-month base period extending through Dec 31, 2008, with three one-year options Two additional one-year option periods yet to be exercised could extend the agreement through Dec 31, 2011

Under the base contract, L-3 Communications is responsible for completing development and testing of the SOFIA Airborne System, including modification, fabrication, installation, integration, and verification of various systems to meet mission requirements Option 1 of the contract covers completion of the SOFIA subsystems, such as the mission control and communication system The option also includes engineering and flight test support for the telescope cavity door-open flight tests and early science flight programs, and support of reviews leading to NASA public aircraft certification

The SOFIA program includes a high-altitude airborne observatory consisting of a German-built 2 5-meter (100 inch) infrared telescope mounted in a cavity in the rear fuselage of a highly modified Boeing 747SP jetliner Scientific instruments housed in the observatory will be capable of celestial observations ranging from visible light through the sub-millimeter far-infrared spectrum NASA and the German Aerospace Center are developing SOFIA jointly

For more details about SOFIA and its mission, visit:

http://www nasa gov/sofia

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to: hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices nasa gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices nasa gov

The following information is a reminder of your current mailing list subscription:

You are subscribed to the following list: [list_name]

using the following email: example@example.com

You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL:

http://www aus-city com/cgi-bin/dada/mail cgi/u/[list]/

If the above URL is inoperable, make sure that you have copied the entire address Some mail readers will wrap a long URL and thus break this automatic unsubscribe mechanism

You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen:

<[program_url]/list/[list]>

If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at:

<mailto:[list_owner_email]>

The following physical address is associated with this mailing list:

[physical_address]