Mark Hess
  Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                    
  February 2, 1994
  (Phone:  202/358-1400)
  
  Kari Fluegel
  Johnson Space Center, Houston
  (Phone:  713/483-5111)
  
  Kari Thornton 
  Boeing Defense and Space Systems Group, Seattle
  (Phone:  713/280-2028) 
  
  
  RELEASE:  94-15
  
  NASA MARKS SPACE STATION MILESTONE 
  
       NASA passed a major milestone in the Space Station 
  Program Tuesday when agency and contractor officials signed 
  documents that mark the end of the Freedom Work Package 
  contracts, thus concentrating responsibility for the design, 
  development and integration of the program under a single 
  prime contract with Boeing Defense and Space Systems Group, 
  Seattle.
  
       "This event is just one indicator that work on the 
  International Space Station is on track and moving ahead," 
  said Randy Brinkley, Manager of the NASA Space Station 
  Program Office, Houston.  "A large group of people has been 
  working very hard over the last several months to make the 
  transition from the Freedom program to our current 
  redesigned program.  Because of their efforts, we are well 
  on our way to having an international laboratory in space."
  
       One of the documents signed yesterday was a major 
  modification to the Nov. 15, 1993, letter contract between 
  NASA and Boeing.  This modification changes Boeing's scope 
  of work from a transitional contract to a hardware design 
  and development contract.  A final contact between NASA and 
  Boeing will be definitized later this year.
  
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       Boeing was designated as the prime contractor in August 
  1993 following a recommendation by the Station Redesign Team 
  to strengthen Space Station integration by realigning the 
  separate hardware development contracts under a single prime 
  contractor.  As the prime contractor, Boeing will be 
  responsible for the design, development, physical and 
  analytical integration, and test and delivery of the Space 
  Station vehicle.  After contract realignment, Boeing will be 
  responsible for the management of two major subcontracts 
  with McDonnell Douglas and Rocketdyne.
  
       "This contact is a major milestone for Boeing," said 
  Larry Winslow, Boeing Vice President for the Space Station 
  Program.  "We are excited to lead the team to design, build 
  and launch a superb orbiting laboratory."
  
       Four party agreements also were signed which will 
  officially close off the three work package contracts with 
  the Boeing Defense and Space Group (Work Package 1), 
  McDonnell Douglas Corp. (Work Package 2) and the Rocketdyne 
  Division of Rockwell International (Work Package 4).  The 
  four-party agreements, known as novation, mark the end of 
  the work package structure that existed under the Freedom 
  program.
  
       The work formerly performed by the three work package 
  contractors will continue with McDonnell Douglas and 
  Rocketdyne now being subcontractors to Boeing.  McDonnell 
  Douglas and Rocketdyne will continue to be responsible for 
  their specific hardware development efforts and for 
  supporting Boeing in sustaining engineering activities.
  
       Overall, the agreements signal the end of the 
  transition from the Space Station Freedom program to the 
  redesigned space station program.
  
       The International Space Station will be a 
  multi-functional orbiting laboratory used for scientific and 
  technology research in the unique microgravity environment 
  of space.  The effort pulls together capabilities and 
  resources from NASA; the European Space Agency; NASDA, the 
  Japanese Space Agency; the Canadian Space Agency; and most 
  recently, the Russian Space Agency.
  
       On-orbit construction of the facility will begin in 
  1997 and will use the launch capabilities of both the United 
  States and Russia.  A U.S. Laboratory module will be 
  operational after the fourth U.S. assembly flight.  U.S. 
  launches will continue to add Japanese and European 
  laboratory modules, a Canadian-built robotic arm and a 
  habitation module.  Russia will fly a "space tug," a science 
  module, a power platform and a number of research modules. 
  
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