Aster to manage NOAA help desk

Aster Engineering Inc. will provide information technology help-desk support to a major service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under an $8.2 million contract.

Under the terms of the contract, Aster will manage and administer IT support for the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service. The one-year contract has a six-month option period, the agency said.

NESDIS provides access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources, which are used to improve and protect the nation's economy, security and environment.

Aster, of Silver Spring, Md., is a small 8(a)-certified company that provides IT and administrative services. It has divisions devoted to enterprise systems, systems engineering and secured computing.