Nancy Neal				August 23, 2002

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md 

(Phone: 301/286-0039)


RELEASE: 02- 131


<bold>NASA NAMES BUILDER FOR FUTURE GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY


</bold>NASA has selected Spectrum Astro, of Gilbert, AZ, to build the
Gamma ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Observatory. 


GLAST will have the ability to detect gamma rays from the most
energetic phenomena in the universe.  Gamma rays are the most energetic
form of light; GLAST will detect gamma rays that are roughly 10 million
to 150 billion times more powerful than the light visible to the human
eye. Radiation of such a magnitude can only be generated under the most
extreme conditions: strongest gravity, highest temperatures, most dense
plasmas, extreme magnetic fields. GLAST will observe thousands of black
holes, magnetized pulsars, gamma ray bursts, and other gamma ray
sources throughout the Universe and will directly contribute to NASA's
mission to explore the universe.


Under the terms of the delivery order valued at $107 million (including
the spacecraft, and all associated options), Spectrum Astro will be
responsible for the design and fabrication of the GLAST Observatory,
integration of the Government furnished instruments, Observatory-level
testing, and on-orbit Observatory check-out.


The delivery order was awarded under NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center's
Rapid II Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract. The contract
is for Core Spacecraft Systems with non-standard services such as
operations, launch services, components, and studies to meet the
Government's space science, earth science, and technology needs. 


GLAST is part of the Structure and Evolution of the Universe science
theme within NASA's Office of Space Science. For this unique
endeavor-one that brings together the space astrophysics and particle
physics communities-NASA is teaming with the U.S. Department of Energy
and institutions in France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Sweden. The
launch is scheduled for September of 2006.   


The GLAST mission will start with a one-year survey of the gamma-ray
sky, after which the observation program will be determined by
proposals from the international science community.  The mission is
being designed for a lifetime of five years, with a goal of 10 years of
operations.


GLAST will be managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
Md., for the Office of Space Science, Washington, DC


More information about the GLAST mission is available at the following
website:


<bold><underline>http://glast.gsfc.nasa.gov/


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