WASHINGTON
-- Lockheed Martin Corp. announced Wednesday that it would build NASA's Crew Exploration
Vehicle (CEV) in Florida if selected by the space agency as prime contractor
for the multibillion-dollar space shuttle-replacement project later this year.
John Karas,
Lockheed Martin vice president for space exploration, made the announcement in
Cape Canaveral, Fla., in front of an audience of state and local officials
including Florida Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings.
"Lockheed
Martin's proposal to do final assembly and checkout of the Crew Exploration
Vehicle -- CEV for short -- reinforces what we believe is the absolute advantage Florida
has to offer as a location as we look toward the maturing of our nation's space
industry," Jennings said.
Florida has
put together a $45.5 million incentive package for locating CEV work
in the state that is awaiting approval by the state legislature.
The
incentives include $35 million in infrastructure improvements and $10.5 million
in worker training assistance, according to Jennings.
Jennings
said the incentives have been offered to both Lockheed Martin and its CEV competitor,
Northrop Grumman.
"We will
not play favorites," Jennings said. "We have issued an incentive package to
both of the companies. We are very pleased that Lockheed has come back and told
us that this is the place for them."
Northrop
Grumman spokesman Brooks McKinney declined to say where his company would build
the CEV if selected to do so.
"We are
preparing a CEV program implementation plan as part of the Phase 2 proposal
that we will submit next month to NASA," McKinney said via e-mail. "That plan
will articulate the work locations and work flow processes that we believe
offer NASA and the nation the best value for developing and producing the CEV.
At the current time, we consider this information to be competition-sensitive."
Lockheed
Martin and Northrop Grumman have been in a head-to-head competition for the CEV
prime contract since 2004. Bids for the project are due in March, with NASA
expected to make a selection in late summer.
Karas said
that if Lockheed Martin wins the competition, it would perform the CEV final
assembly work at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in the storied Operations &
Checkout Building, using the incentive money offered by Florida to update the
facility and to do any worker training that may be necessary.
The CEV
work would provide 300-400 jobs, helping Florida offset job losses as the space
shuttle program winds down in the years ahead, Karas said.
Lockheed
Martin plans to make further announcements in the weeks ahead about where it
would do CEV component and structures manufacturing, Karas said.
"We are
extremely pleased and proud to partner with the state of Florida in support of
NASA's CEV program." Karas said. "The point of final assembly and testing for
each mission will be critical to the viability of NASA's CEV program and the
ideal location to do that is here in Florida adjacent to the launch site.
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