NASA announced today that it has awarded Lockheed Martin’s Jefferson County-based Space Systems Co. a $136.2 million contract to provide launch services for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. The work includes spacecraft processing, and associated mission integration services such as telemetry support and mission-unique items.
The spacecraft are scheduled for launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida during a launch window that opens on Oct. 31, 2008.
The orbiter will spend a year mapping the moon from an average altitude of approximately 30 miles. It will carry six instruments and one technology demonstration to perform investigations specifically targeted for preparing for future human exploration. The instruments are provided by various organizations throughout the United States, and one is from Russia.
