NASA awards modification contract for reduced-gravity test aircraft

NASA awards modification contract for reduced-gravity test aircraft — NASA Science
Source: NASA Science

NASA selected Denmar Technical Services of Nevada to provide aircraft modifications, maintenance and testing services for the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate at Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The award is a firm-fixed-price contract, with time-and-material provisions for any over-and-above or unforeseen work. The contract has a maximum potential value of $8.4 million and runs through Feb. 1, 2027.

The contractor will modify a Boeing 737-700 to perform lunar-gravity parabolic flights to test NASA space equipment. Once modifications are complete, NASA Armstrong will own the aircraft and oversee operations out of NASA Johnson.

The modified 737 will be used to validate astronaut lunar suits and associated crew systems required to support Artemis mission objectives in an operationally relevant reduced-gravity environment prior to lunar mission execution.

United States, Edwards, California; Houston, Texas

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