CAREERS
IN AEROSPACE
United
Space Alliance
Headquartered in
Houston, Texas, United Space Alliance (USA) is one of the world’s leading
space operations companies. Established in 1996 as a joint venture between
The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation the company employs
people in Texas, Florida, Alabama, California and Washington, D.C.
USA is chartered
to manage and conduct space operations work involving the operation
and maintenance of multi-purpose space systems, including systems associated
with NASA’s human space flight program, Space Shuttle applications beyond
those of NASA and other reusable launch and orbital systems beyond the
Space Shuttle and Space Station.
As the prime contractor
for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, United Space Alliance is responsible
for the day-to-day operation and management of the U.S. Space Shuttle
fleet and brings a broad range of expertise to the job, including:
- Mission Design
and Planning
- Flight Operations
- Software Development
and Integration
- Payload Integration
- Integrated Logistics
- Astronaut and
Flight Controller Training
- Vehicle Processing,
Launch and Recovery
In August 1995,
NASA expressed its desire to consolidate the large number of Space Shuttle
program contracts under a single prime contractor. The space agency
initiated an open competition for a single prime contract to conduct
Space Shuttle operations, and received responses from more than 40 companies.
At the time, the
majority of the operations, processing and training work was conducted
by Rockwell, which held the Space Operations Contract for flight support,
and Lockheed Martin, which held the Shuttle Processing Contract for
ground operations. Realizing that the award of a single contract to
one company would seriously disrupt the employees and operations in
either Texas or Florida, the two companies agreed to create a joint
venture and formed United Space Alliance.
On November 7,
1995, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin announced in his “Determination
and Findings” report that the space agency would pursue a sole source
agreement with United Space Alliance. In April 1996, USA assumed management
responsibility for Rockwell’s flight operations contract in Texas and
Lockheed Martin’s Shuttle processing contract in Florida, establishing
the company as the prime contractor for NASA’s Space Shuttle program.
In September 1996,
United Space Alliance and NASA signed the Space Flight Operations Contract
(SFOC) at the Johnson Space Center. The contract designated USA as the
prime contractor for Space Shuttle operations and gave USA authority
to proceed with full operation of the contract effective October 1,
1996. The SFOC also includes training and operations planning for the
International Space Station.
Rockwell’s share
of USA became part of The Boeing Company following the final sale of
Rockwell’s aerospace and defense businesses in December 1996.
USA and the
Space Shuttle Program
As NASA’s major
partner in the Space Shuttle program, USA manages approximately one-third
of NASA’s annual Space Shuttle budget. In an effort to further streamline
and consolidate the program, NASA plans to assign the remaining government-managed
contracts for major hardware elements of the Shuttle system (such as
Shuttle Main Engines, Solid Rocket Boosters and Motors and the External
Tank) to the USA contract. USA’s assumption of day-to-day Shuttle operations
management will help enable NASA to return to its roots as a research
and development agency.
The Future
USA’s first and
foremost goal is the safe and reliable management of the Space Shuttle
fleet. While continually ensuring that the primary goal is met, USA
is taking on greater involvement in the operations of the International
Space Station. As the only company in the world with extensive experience
in the processing, maintenance and operation of a reusable launch vehicle,
USA will be offering its expertise in related space operations markets
in the future as well as pursuing opportunities in the operation of
new NASA vehicles such as the Crew Return Vehicle.
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