Lockheed Martin has been selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to operate and maintain the support infrastructure for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), which enables universities, research institutions and federal agencies to conduct scientific research in the region.

NSF is the designated single-point manager of the program, providing funding for research in Antarctica as well as logistics and infrastructure needed by other federal agencies for their research there.

The multiyear contract is valued at approximately $2 billion if all options are exercised.

Under the new contract, Lockheed Martin will work with the NSF to implement a cost-effective, streamlined infrastructure for managing work stations and medical facilities, research vessels, construction projects and remote sites in and around Antarctica.

The corporation also will modernize technologies to transport scientists, staff and supplies to and from the Antarctic region.

"Lockheed Martin is proud to work with more than 3,000 program participants involved in valuable research in Antarctica," said Linda Gooden, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin's Information Systems and Global Solutions (IS and GS) business.

"We have a longstanding history of supporting customers in remote locations and logistically challenging environments and are committed to fostering scientific and technological innovations that will benefit the world."

NSF and the USAP have been anchoring U.S. presence in Antarctica since 1956 through its active and influential scientific research program, supporting fundamental discovery research that can only be done there and studying the Antarctic and its interactions with the rest of the planet.

"As the manager of the U.S. Antarctic Program, NSF looks forward to working with Lockheed Martin over the coming years, addressing together the challenges of supporting research as the scientific frontiers in Antarctica advance and technology evolves to support it," said Karl Erb, director of NSF's Office of Polar Programs.

"In addition to supporting forefront research funded by NSF and other federal agencies, the program provides the foundation for U.S. leadership in the governance of the only continent in the world set aside by international treaty for peaceful purposes, of which science is the foremost example."

"Our team is excited to ensure the Antarctic Program continues to reach and even surpass its research goals," said John Mengucci, president of Lockheed Martin's IS and GS-Civil business.

"We also are thrilled to work with the NSF in expanding its outreach activities to educate students about the polar research and encourage them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."