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Release: 00-321

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to sign agreement for shared technology development

Redstone Arsenal, Ala. – The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will formalize a single cooperative agreement during a signing ceremony Monday, Nov. 20 to share knowledge, facilities and technology.

The signing ceremony will be held at the Redstone Historic Test Stand on Dodd Road at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20. In the event of inclement weather, the signing will take place inside NASA building 4752 on Tiros Street. For confirmation of the event location, or directions, media may call either number at the top of this release.

Since 1960, when the two organizations were formed from a single Army element, scientists and engineers have cooperated on projects. In the early years, when workers knew one another from having worked at the same organization, collaborative efforts frequently were as simple as making a phone call and asking for assistance. More recently, however, each type of collaboration has been accomplished under a separate letter of agreement.

Additionally, with the merging of Army aviation and missile missions at AMCOM, a need has developed to build technical relationships in aviation areas such as avionics.

The general interagency agreement that will be entered into by AMCOM and the Marshall Center is to establish the "collaboration of synergistic technologies," according to the wording of the agreement. Joint activities that will be undertaken, as well as the costs and other resources, will be decided on a case-by-case basis and will be covered by sub-agreements called "program agreements."

AMCOM's main focus will be to support Army transformation, while Marshall's main focus will be the 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle.

According to Maj. Gen. Al Sullivan, Commanding General of the Army Aviation and Missile Command, both organizations want to leverage the science and technology being done by the other. "This agreement will enable both visions -- AMCOM's and Marshall's -- to be obtained while achieving maximum efficiency of use of the taxpayers' dollars."

"Whenever we can cut costs while enhancing our capabilities for space exploration and research we are eager to do so," said Art Stephenson, Marshall Center Director. "Past and current joint projects with the Army have already proven such technology sharing is beneficial to everyone."

Current collaboration between the two agencies includes propellant research, avionics, information technology and service life estimates. The new agreement will encourage both agencies to seek more areas for research that will benefit both. Additional areas that the organizations may collaborate on include heat transfer, electronic and electro-optic micro-fabrication, simulation and systems management.