spacetoday.net: Lockheed announces plans to assembly CEV in Florida

Posted: Thu, Feb 23, 2006, 8:17 AM ET (1317 GMT)
Lockheed Martin CEV capsule design (LM)

Lockheed Martin will perform final assembly and testing work on the Crew Exploration Vehicle in Florida if it wins a NASA contract to develop the manned spacecraft, the company announced Wednesday. Lockheed would use the Operations and Checkout building at the Kennedy Space Center for the work, employing 300 to 400 people. Florida has been eager to attract CEV work in the state to compensate for the loss of jobs anticipated when the shuttle is retired in 2010, and has offered a set of financial incentives to lure CEV developers. Lockheed is competing with a Northrop Grumman-Boeing team for the CEV contract, which NASA will award later this year. Northrop has not announced where it will perform CEV work if its team wins the contract; Lockheed has also not revealed where other CEV work will be performed.