Boeing

Representatives of The Boeing Company and Alenia Spazio signed a teaming agreement to reinforce their ongoing commitment to the future of the International Space Station (ISS). This agreement establishes the framework for present and future ISS opportunities and represents a new era of cooperation for the two companies.

"Boeing involvement with Alenia Spazio provides an excellent opportunity to integrate substantial competencies and focus on creating best-value solutions for our customers," said Brewster Shaw, Boeing ISS vice president and general manager.

"Boeing and Alenia Spazio, joining their know-how, have established, with this agreement, a promising base for real and effective process optimization during the exploitation phase of the ISS, both for short-mid term operations and for a long term innovative industrial approach," said Paulo Piantella, vice president, Market Strategy Directorate.

Under the teaming agreement, Boeing and Alenia Spazio will expand their efforts, ensuring an integrated approach for the long-term support of ISS. The agreement comprises a range of logistics support activities, effective utilization and implementation of the Alenia Spazio-designed and -built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, and supplies a framework for future space-related initiatives.

Alenia Spazio is prime contractor for most of the programs managed through the Italian Space Agency, and as such, participates with a primary role in a majority of the projects organized by the European Space Agency.

Boeing is NASA's prime contractor to design, develop, manufacture and assemble the Space Station. ISS is orbiting overhead -- visible from Earth in the night sky. The first two modules, Zarya and Unity, were launched and assembled in orbit in late 1998.

ISS is the largest international space venture ever undertaken and a joint effort of 16 countries.

When fully assembled in 2004, it will house a crew of seven -- working in 46,000 cubic feet of pressured volume spread across six laboratories, two habitation modules, and two logistics modules.

The next scheduled ISS assembly launch is Zvezda, the Russian Service Module, aboard a Russian Proton rocket. Zvezda is currently at Baikonur undergoing pre-launch test and check-out. The first astronaut crew, Expedition One, will be brought to ISS later this year for their three-month stay. The U.S. Laboratory will be launched aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis in early 2001.