Two companies win NASA software testing work

Titan Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. have each won five-year, $200 million contracts from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to compete for work involving the independent verification and validation of software services, the space agency announced this month.

Under the task-order contracts, Titan of San Diego and Northrop Grumman Information Technology of Herndon, Va., will provide NASA with the capability to independently verify and validate selected software at the agency's IV&V facility in Fairmont, W.Va., and other locations.

Verification determines whether the safety requirements for the software are being fulfilled, while validation ascertains whether the software designed for a specific intended use meets the needs of the mission or agency.

The work will support programs such as the International Space Station, space shuttle and the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA said.

Titan has 12,000 employees and $2.2 billion in annual sales. The company ranks No. 12 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list, which measures federal contracting revenue.

Northrop Grumman IT is a unit of Northrop Grumman Corp. of Los Angeles. The company, which has 125,000 employees and annual sales of $29.9 billion, ranks No. 2 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list.