NASA has named Zin Technologies, Inc., as Minority Contractor of the Year; Arcata Associates, Inc. as Minority Subcontractor of the Year; and Analytical Services, Inc. as Women Owned Business of the Year.

The three firms were honored at the agency's 12th Annual Minority Business and Advocates Awards ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Minority Business and Advocates Awards ceremony is held in conjunction with Minority Enterprise Development Week.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe will present the awards following his annual "State of Small Business at NASA" address.

Zin Technologies is headquartered in Brook Park, Ohio and a prime contractor at NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC). Zin provides microgravity research and development. It operates microgravity science payloads for ground and spaceflight research. Zin operates under an ISO Certified Quality Management Systems and has partnered with GRC on more than 95 science payloads since 1990. Zin Technologies was one of the first developers operating science payloads on the International Space Station with a continuous presence since April 2001. Zin was recently recognized with the GRC Software of the Year and Northern Ohio Minority Business Council Technology Award.

Arcata Associates, Inc. is based in North Las Vegas, Nev. Arcata is a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin and Computer Sciences Corporation. Arcata provides Video/Voice Teleconferencing support under the Consolidated Space Operations Contract. They provide Interactive Multimedia Services, Imaging Services, and Audio/Visual Communications to Computer Sciences Corporation under the Program Information Systems Mission Services contract. The activity takes place primarily at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Ala.

Analytical Services, Inc. provides program planning and development support services to the Orbital Space Plane (OSP) program, which includes program planning, technical writing and multimedia design and development. Analytical Services, Inc. provides services in support of the OSP mission to provide a system for crew rescue from the International Space Station by 2010, crew and limited cargo transport to and from the Station by 2012. It is also supporting the management of the design and development of a new multipurpose space transportation system for assured access to space and to provide operational flexibility for NASA.

NASA is also recognizing outstanding advocates within the agency for their contributions and innovative approaches to using minority and women owned businesses. Gloria Marsh, Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Bill Padilla, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Calif., and David Kankam, GRC will receive NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal.

Special Recognition Awards will be presented for specific accomplishments and outstanding contributions to NASA's Small Business Program to: ION Corporation, Hopkins, Minn.; Ms. Ginger Conrad, Editor and Publisher of Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine, Torrance, Calif.; Page Environmental Corporation, Baltimore; and Ms. Carol Foster, Editor of Minority Business News, USA, Dallas.

NASA Headquarters and five NASA field Centers will be recognized for meeting or exceeding all of their negotiated socio-economic small business goals for fiscal year 2002. The Centers are Dryden Space Flight Research Center, Calif.; GRC; Langley Research Center, Va.; JPL; and, MSFC.