Columbia, Maryland, April 28, 2016 - The Universities Space Research Association has been awarded the NASA Academic Mission Services (NAMS) contract from NASA's Ames Research Center to deliver new concepts, tools and technologies related to aeronautics, science and aeroflightdynamics. This five-year agreement for a $193 million award launches an integrated multi-year research effort to be conducted at NASA's Ames Research Center, which ranges from fundamental research and development through field test deployments and operational science missions.
USRA brings together a diverse national team of universities and experts to partner with Ames in order to solve problems related to Earth and space science, engineering, and aeronautics. Specifically, the team will focus on tasks to assist Ames with understanding navigation of unpiloted aircraft systems, air traffic management, autonomous systems, aeroacoustics, synthetic biology, quantum computing and small spacecraft development. The latter includes development of airborne remote sensing technologies to monitor carbon cycling, habitats, vegetation structure and growth.
Dr. Jeffrey A. Isaacson, USRA President and CEO, commented, "We are delighted with NASA's selection of USRA to lead this important effort. Achieving NASA's goals for NAMS requires a partner capable of managing cutting-edge research and development programs, connecting them to NASA missions and long-term objectives, and interacting seamlessly with the university research community. We believe that USRA is ideally suited to these tasks, and we stand ready to deliver."
The program will be managed from Ames and USRA's Mountain View, California office, under the direction of Mr. Matthew Blake who stated, "Our team is very excited about this opportunity to assist Ames in leading the nation's research and exploration in aeronautics, space sciences, and computational methods. We hope to open new opportunities for universities across the country to enhance these crucial research areas."
This award will provide academic and university-based collaboration in the performance of technical core services for Ames. NAMS will also serve other research areas with Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order support.
The USRA team includes the California State University System and leading small businesses and university researchers and their students, from across the country. The USRA team will assist with the critical research and education mission of Ames. USRA partner organizations include Crown Consulting, Inc. of Arlington, Virginia; Georgia Tech Research Institute of Atlanta, Georgia; Acima Technical Services, Inc. of Washington, DC; Bay Systems Consulting, Inc. of East Palo Alto, California; Flight Research Associates of Moffett Field, California; and MicroSystems Automation Group of Falls Church, Virginia.
About USRA
Universities Space Research Association is an independent, nonprofit research corporation where the combined efforts of in-house talent and university-based expertise merge to advance space science and technology. USRA works across disciplines including biomedicine, planetary science, astrophysics, and engineering and integrates those competencies into applications ranging from fundamental research to facility management and operations. USRA engages the creativity and authoritative expertise of the research community to develop and deliver sophisticated, forward-looking solutions to Federal agencies and other government sponsors.