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Nancy Neal	 
Headquarters, Washington          March 14, 2003 
(Phone: 202/358-2369)

Keith Koehler 
Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. 
(Phone: 757/824-1579)

RELEASE: c03-g

NASA SELECTS PSL FOR BALLOON PROGRAM SUPPORT CONTRACT

     NASA has selected the Physical Science Laboratory (PSL) at New 
Mexico State University, Las Cruces, for the award of a contract for 
the operation and maintenance of scientific balloon facilities and 
engineering support for the NASA Scientific Balloon Program. The 
contract has a potential value of $238.7 million.

The new follow-on contract is for services currently being provided by 
contractor support at the National Scientific Balloon Facility, 
Palestine, Texas, and Fort Sumner, N.M., and the NASA Goddard Space 
Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.

The contract is for four years with two three-year options.  It has a 
baseline value of $39.8 million and a potential value of $238.7 
million. The contract is a cost-plus award fee, with indefinite 
delivery/indefinite quantity provisions.

PSL is to provide technical and operational services to meet the 
requirements of balloon flights in support of NASA's scientific 
programs and reimbursable projects. This includes operational flight 
support for launching, tracking and recovery of scientific balloons 
and their payloads.  

The contractor also will operate and maintain scientific balloon 
launching facilities.  Additionally, PSL will provide engineering 
services to maintain and enhance technical and operational capability, 
and provide development and analysis support for advanced projects in 
the NASA Balloon Research and Development Program.

For more information on NASA's Balloon Program see:
http://www.wff.nasa.gov/balloons

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