NASA reworks satellite services contract

Marshall Communications Corp., Sterling, Va., has won a four-year, $25 million contract to provide satellite services to NASA. Marshall will subcontract the services to Americom Government Services Inc. of Princeton, N.J., which had been the incumbent service provider.

The agency decided to rebid the contract in an effort to streamline its service operations by selecting separate providers for satellite, terrestrial and technical support. NASA awarded the satellite portion to Marshall through GSA's Federal Technology Services. Marshall selected AGS to provide the end-to-end network solution, including uplink to ground stations as well as downlink reception.

NASA will use AGS's satellite services to provide video feeds of space shuttles during pre-launch, launch and re-entry. AGS will also broadcast NASA TV, which is transitioning from one analog channel to multiple digital channels. NASA uses the video feeds and TV broadcasts for ongoing scientific analysis, educational initiatives and distribution to news media outlets.

Communications will be broadcast to NASA flight centers across the country including Marshall, Kennedy, Goddard, White Sands and Johnson.

"AGS was the hands-down choice for the NASA contract because of its high-quality, reliable Satcom services. The company has an extensive satellite fleet, in-depth knowledge of the government market and expertise in every aspect of Satcom networks," said Sonny Marshall, president and chief executive officer of Marshall.

Marshall Communications is an 8(a) systems integrator that specializes in satellite communications and streaming media over wired and wireless networks. Its customers include the armed forces, departments of state and homeland security, Postal Service, IRS and Social Security Administration.

Americom Government Services is a subsidiary of SES Americom, one of the largest suppliers of satellite services in the United States. Its customers include the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Interior, Justice and Transportation.