Wang counts down to NASA networking launch

Wang Government Services, a subsidiary of Wang Global, has won a $453m, 10-year contract from Lockheed Martin Space Operations to consolidate various wide area networks (WANs) at NASA.

The US space agency is currently involved in a decade-long, $3.4bn relationship with Lockheed called the Consolidated Space Operations Contract (CSOC), but Lockheed has sub-contracted to IT services company Wang, paving the way for one of the federal government's first WAN outsourcing deals.

Wang will be given control of four strategic WAN operations at NASA, covering terrestrial and extra-terrestrial projects. These are Space Science, Mission to Planet Earth, Human Exploration and Development of Space, and Aeronautics and Space Transportation.

Wang said its ability to bring together the four WAN programmes was the key to its successful bid. Similar outsourcing deals are expected as the US government looks at ways of cutting the cost and lifecycle of space missions.

The company has had a long-standing relationship with NASA, according to the president of Wang government services, Jim Hogan. "We've been involved with NASA for years," he said. "We do some support now in Marshall Spaceflight Centre, in Kennedy and we have some people in Johnson Spaceflight Centre."