A--CEV ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT PROTOTYPE PRESSURE VESSELS, LIQUID ACQUISITION DEVICES AND CRYOGENIC FLUID MANAGEMENT HARDWARE

NASA Glenn Research Center plans to award two sole-source contracts, one each to the Crew Exploration Vehicle prime contractors Northrop Grumman/Boeing and Lockheed Martin. These contracts focus on the design and development of cryogenic propellant tank system hardware specifically for the advanced development of pressure-fed liquid oxygen/liquid methane propulsion systems intended for the Crew Exploration Vehicle. The total estimated value for both contracts combined is $13.1 million. Because the cryogenic propellant tanks form a critical part of the CEV Service Module and their design is intrinsically linked to the overall CEV design and development, NASA is proceeding with sole-source awards rather than competitive bidding. The scope includes prototype pressure vessels, liquid acquisition devices, and cryogenic fluid management hardware, all essential to supporting the propulsion technology development for the CEV program.