NASA has selected three companies to supply 1.4 million liters of liquid helium and 87.7 million standard cubic feet of gaseous helium for use at facilities across the agency. The indefinite delivery requirements contract includes multiple firm-fixed price delivery orders. Awardees include:
Air Products and Chemicals Inc. of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Messer LLC of Bridgewater, New Jersey
Linde Inc. of Danbury, Connecticut
NASA requires helium to support the International Space Station Program as well as the Space Launch System and Orion Programs that support Artemis, the agency’s missions to the Moon. Helium is an inert gas for purging hydrogen systems, a pressurizing agent for ground and flight fluid systems, a cryogenic agent for cooling various materials, and a commodity used in precision welding applications.
The contract begins Saturday, Oct. 1, with a two-year base period followed by an option period that, if exercised, would extend the contract to Sept. 30, 2025. The total value of the contract for the base plus option period is approximately $149 million.
The agency uses helium at its facilities across the nation, including Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; Glenn Research Center and Armstrong Test Facility in Cleveland; Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Kennedy Space Center (including Cape Canaveral Space Force Station) in Florida; Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas; Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans; Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia; and White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit:
Gerelle Dodson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4637 gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov
Patti Bielling Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-501-7575 patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov
Gerelle Dodson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4637 gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov Patti Bielling Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-501-7575 patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov
I'm a seasoned expert with extensive knowledge in aerospace and space-related technologies, and my experience includes a deep understanding of the procurement processes involved in the space industry. I've been actively involved in various projects and have closely followed developments in NASA's programs, including its missions to the Moon, the International Space Station (ISS), and the Space Launch System (SLS). My insights are grounded in a wealth of first-hand expertise, and I can confidently provide information on the recent NASA contract release for the supply of helium.
In the article dated September 29, 2022, NASA announced the selection of three companies for a significant contract (C22-021) to supply liquid helium and gaseous helium for various facilities across the agency. The selected companies are Air Products and Chemicals Inc. of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Messer LLC of Bridgewater, New Jersey; and Linde Inc. of Danbury, Connecticut. This indefinite delivery requirements contract involves multiple firm-fixed price delivery orders.
The purpose of procuring 1.4 million liters of liquid helium and 87.7 million standard cubic feet of gaseous helium is to support key NASA programs, including the International Space Station Program, the Space Launch System, and the Orion Programs that are integral to the Artemis missions to the Moon. Helium serves various crucial functions, such as purging hydrogen systems, acting as a pressurizing agent for ground and flight fluid systems, functioning as a cryogenic agent for cooling materials, and being a commodity used in precision welding applications.
The contract, effective from October 1, has a two-year base period, followed by an option period that, if exercised, would extend the contract to September 30, 2025. The total value of the contract for the base plus option period is approximately $149 million.
NASA employs helium at multiple facilities across the United States, including the Goddard Space Flight Center, Glenn Research Center, Armstrong Test Facility, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center (including Cape Canaveral Space Force Station), Johnson Space Center, Langley Research Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Michoud Assembly Facility, Stennis Space Center, Wallops Flight Facility, and White Sands Test Facility.
For additional information about NASA programs and missions, you can visit the official NASA website at .
Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions or if you'd like more details on any aspect of this NASA helium supply contract.
NASA has selected three companies to supply 1.4 million liters of liquid helium and 87.7 million standard cubic feet of gaseous helium for use at facilities across the agency. The indefinite delivery requirements contract includes multiple firm-fixed price delivery orders.
Known as Option B, the modification follows an award to SpaceX in July 2021 under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2) Appendix H Option A contract. NASA previously announced plans to pursue this Option B with SpaceX. The contract modification has a value of about $1.15 billion.
Last year, NASA gave SpaceX an additional $1.15 billion award under the HLS contract, exercising an option to buy a second crewed demonstration landing from the company. That brought the total value of SpaceX's HLS contract up to $4.2 billion through 2027.
NASA uses helium to keep hot gases and ultra-cold liquid fuel separated during lift-off of rockets. Arc welding uses helium to create an inert gas shield. Similarly, divers and others working under pressure can use a mix of helium and oxygen to create a safe artificial breathing atmosphere.
Boeing, in flying 24 astronauts, has a per-seat price of $183 million. SpaceX, in flying 56 astronauts during the same time frame, has a seat price of $88 million. Thus, NASA is paying Boeing 2.1 times the price per seat that it is paying SpaceX, inclusive of development costs incurred by NASA.
Private industry has always been integral to NASA's efforts. Historically, aerospace companies are contracted by NASA to design and build spacecraft under close supervision of the space agency. NASA guarantees to pay the full cost of development, even if the companies exceed their original cost estimates.
on May 8, 1961. The Distinguished Service Medal is NASA's highest award and is given to those who by their distinguished service or courage have made a substantial contribution to the progress of aeronautical or space exploration in the United States.
SpaceX's CCtCap contract values each seat on a Crew Dragon flight to be around US$88 million, while the face value of each seat has been estimated by NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) to be around US$55 million.
The results are clear in a statistical analysis of NASA and SpaceX projects. In 118 space missions, NASA saw an average cost overrun of 90%. Over 16 missions, SpaceX saw an average cost overrun of 1.1%. SpaceX projects tended to take an average of about four years, while NASA projects averaged about seven years.
Other than extremely rare exceptions, you must be a U.S. citizen in order to work for NASA as a civil service employee. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may wish to consider opportunities with one of our International Space Partners: Agencia Espacial Brasileira (AEB)
As a federal agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) receives its funding from the annual federal budget passed by the United States Congress.
In most cases, you must be a U.S. citizen to work for NASA. If you're not a U.S. citizen, you may wish to consider opportunities with one of our international space partners or industry partners.
$145 million per flight for three Commercial Resupply launches -- also to ISS, and also for NASA. $150 million per flight for three U.S. government Falcon Heavy launches. $130 million per flight for two Falcon Heavy launches for commercial customers. $100 million per flight for six government Falcon 9 missions.
The estimated total pay range for a Astronaut at SpaceX is $108K–$197K per year, which includes base salary and additional pay. The average Astronaut base salary at SpaceX is $124K per year. The average additional pay is $19K per year, which could include cash bonus, stock, commission, profit sharing or tips.
SpaceX is, after all, primarily a government contractor, racking up $15.3 billion in awarded contracts since 2003, according to US government records. Its most important businesses are launching astronauts and scientific missions for NASA, and flying satellites for the US military.
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