FEDERALfederal award

NASA Contract Award to Northrop Grumman for TESS Mission

Original title: National Aeronautics and Space Administration → NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION ($102.08M)

space exploration government contracting aerospace science and technology

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The Frame

What this does

This contract directs $102.08 million in federal funds to Northrop Grumman for the ongoing development and operation of the TESS mission, which is designed to identify exoplanets.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

The company is contractually obligated to perform specific engineering, testing, and operational tasks for the TESS mission.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The agency is providing $102.08 million in funding and government-furnished equipment to facilitate the TESS mission.

What changed

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What's next

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Summary

NASA has awarded a $102.08 million contract to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation to support the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. The contract covers development, testing, and operation phases for the spacecraft and its mission control center.

Key Facts

NASA awarded a contract worth $102.08 million to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation.
The contract covers work for phases B through F of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission.
Northrop Grumman is responsible for the design, analysis, validation, development, fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing of the TESS spacecraft.
The contractor must develop, test, operate, and sustain the Mission Operations Center (MOC).
Northrop Grumman is responsible for the spacecraft and camera accommodation structure, including the sunshade.
The TESS instrument (camera structure, data handling unit, and harness) is provided by the government as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE).
The contractor is responsible for integration activities between the government-provided instrument and the spacecraft.
The contractor must provide all necessary personnel, materials, facilities, and resources to complete the project.

Why It Matters

This contract directs $102.08 million in federal funds to Northrop Grumman for the ongoing development and operation of the TESS mission, which is designed to identify exoplanets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this contract?

The contract funds the development, testing, and operation of the TESS spacecraft and its mission control center for NASA.

Who is responsible for building the TESS camera?

The TESS instrument, including the camera structure, is provided by the government as Government Furnished Equipment, though the contractor is responsible for integrating it into the spacecraft.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

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Public-Private Integration

The contract highlights a clear division of labor where the government provides the specialized scientific instrument while the private contractor manages the spacecraft platform and mission operations.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation