NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., has awarded a contract valued at more than $300 million to Lockheed Martin Space Operations, Houston, to provide supplies and services for Ames' Astrobiology and Space Research Directorate.

Under the terms of the contract Lockheed Martin will support numerous activities involved in the Space Station Biological Research Project, Flight Payload Integration, and Fundamental Biology Programs Office. The contract also will support Space Station Payload Projects, Discovery Missions and Shuttle Space Flight missions and payloads, in addition to maintaining project and mission schedules and supporting coordination of science planning between Ames and NASA Headquarters in Washington, other NASA centers, science working groups and other entities.

Lockheed Martin will provide support for planning and analysis options for potential space flight opportunities and support experimenters during development of flight experiments and hardware, including flight hardware and support equipment; orbital and ground support equipment; and associated software.

The cost-plus-award-fee contract is valued at $310.0 million and has a period of performance of eight years consisting of a three-year base period, one two-year priced option and one three-year priced option.

Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and destiny of life in the universe. Fundamental Biology is the study of the response of biological systems and processes to the space flight environment. The Astrobiology and Space Research Directorate at Ames conducts research and technology development, manages programs and projects, develops missions and serves the science community in Astrobiology and related areas of Earth, Space and Life Sciences.