2006 A Year of Success

In a year that gave USA the opportunity to showcase its talents and capabilities, 2006 featured a broad range of activities that required creative minds, innovative ideas and resourceful solutions.

“2006 was a great year for USA; we were highly successful in all aspects of our business, particularly in support of the Human Space Flight Program, and in efforts to lay the groundwork for our role in Constellation,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Mike McCulley.

The company’s 10th year saw three successful Shuttle missions which signified the completion of the Return to Flight process and the resumption of normal operations; the continuation of International Space Station (ISS) assembly; and the advancement of the Vision for Space Exploration with the awarding of the Orion contract. USA also continued its transformation for the future by establishing the Constellation Program Office and pursuing a variety of Vision USA initiatives.

Space Shuttle operations continued last year as Fourth of July fireworks signaled the successful launch of STS-121. Optical and electronic imagery focused on Discovery showed that no significant debris came in contact with the Shuttle as it rocketed off the pad, and on-orbit assessments confirmed that the Orbiter was possibly the “cleanest” ever. In orbit, the crew conducted spacewalks to repair the ISS Mobile Transporter, tested a 50-foot robotic arm as a work platform and delivered Thomas Reiter to the Station, bringing the number of resident ISS crewmembers to three for the first time in more than three years.

“This mission showed that our goal has shifted from returning to flight to resuming a routine launch schedule,” McCulley said.

The STS-115 launch in August boasted the resumption of International Space Station assembly, accomplished with three spacewalks and the unfurling of P3/P4 Truss’s 240-feet new photovoltaic solar arrays. Scheduled for completion in 2010, up to 17 more Shuttle flights may be required to finish construction.

The STS-116 crew finished off the year with a December mission. A liftoff at 8:47 p.m. marked the first night launch in more than four years. The mission boasted the 20th flight to the ISS and delivery and assembly of the $11 million Integrated Truss Segment P5. STS-116 crewmember Sunita Williams replaced Thomas Reiter on the Station and will return on STS-118.

2006 marked the first time since 2002 that NASA completed three Space Shuttle missions in one year, setting the stage for at least four Shuttle flights in 2007.

“Completing three missions in the last half of 2006 was a significant achievement,” said USA Space Shuttle Program Manager Howard DeCastro. “The NASA/Contractor Shuttle Team worked very well together to move from Return to Flight back into construction of the ISS. All three missions were very successful, and STS-116 was one of the most complex Shuttle missions ever flown. The Shuttle Team laid the groundwork to have another great year in 2007.”

2006 also saw the passing of another milestone – the end of the Space Flight Operations Contract (SFOC) and the beginning of the Space Program Operations Contract (SPOC).

“SFOC was a revolutionary way to do business and a tremendous success,” McCulley said. “Every measure improved markedly.”

SFOC’s efficiency saved taxpayers more than $2 billion, reduced Space Shuttle in-flight anomalies by 50 percent, reduced launch scrubs due to technical reasons by 43 percent, delivered 99.8 percent of Shuttle hardware without deficiencies and ensured 99 percent of all products were delivered on time.

Recognizing USA’s contribution, NASA authorized the SPOC to follow completion of the SFOC. When finalized, the four-year contract will cover space operations through September 2010. USA is currently working to finalize details of the contract valued at $1.1 billion for the first six months. Under SPOC, USA will continue Space Shuttle Program operations and related support for the Constellation program.

“The awarding of the SPOC validates USA’s commitment to consistently delivering the highest quality products and services to the space industry,” McCulley said. “We have a great partnership with NASA and are looking forward to continuing our role in the Human Space Flight Programs.”

The transformation of the company, spurred by Vision USA initiatives, continued throughout 2006. Set to prepare USA for the post-Shuttle space flight business environment, Vision USA analyzed the company’s current state of business in comparison to where it needs to be to secure future business. This gap analysis helped guide the Strategic Planning Council in reviewing Vision USA initiatives designed to expand and strengthen USA’s competitive posture for the future.

“We studied where we are now as a company and where we need to be in a few years. This provided us a framework for action as we chart our course to the future,” said Dick Covey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

With an eye toward the future, the next-generation fleet of space-faring vehicles, the Constellation System, was a central element of 2006’s business focus.

The Constellation Program progressed as NASA awarded the Orion contract to Lockheed Martin. As a subcontractor to Lockheed, USA will provide operational expertise during design and implementation of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), be pivotal in the development of the CEV Avionics Integration Lab and will perform final assembly and integration of the vehicle.

“This contract provides USA the opportunity to be a part of the next generation space vehicle from the very beginning,” said Anne Martt, Vice President and Constellation Program Manager. “We’ll be able to participate in every step of the process and help it evolve to its true potential.”

USA will also work as a contractor to ATK Launch Systems for the design and development of the Ares I first stage.

“We are in the early stages of building our future,” Martt said. “USA’s contributions to the Constellation Program are crucial and will lay the foundation for the destiny of the company.”

Receiving recognition for its accomplishments, USA received several awards last year that highlighted the company’s commitment to promote small- and minority-owned businesses. USA was presented with the Houston Minority Business Council’s Prime Supplier Award and the Corporate Commitment Award, and Kennedy Space Center’s 2005 Large Business-Commitment to Small Business Program Award.

In summary, 2006 represented a year of progress in which steadfast commitment to innovation and quality and a strong work ethic positioned USA for the next year of challenges and changes.

“We need to continue to build on our past accomplishments, as we look forward to future achievements,” McCulley said. “We have an exciting year ahead.”

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2006 A Year of Success

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