NASA, the U.S. space agency, says it has issued new contracts to support its human flight programs, project engineering and research and development efforts.

Science Applications International Corp., based in Virginia, and two organizations based in Maryland -- Millennium Engineering and Integration Co. and Universities Space Research Association -- received the awards.

SAIC is to provide biomedical, medical and health services in support of human spaceflight programs at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The contract for the services, which takes effect Oct. 1, has a five-year base period of performance with two option years and is worth $1.76 billion.

SAIC said the award is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-award-fee task orders.

The contract services to NASA's Johnson's Human Health and Performance Directorate in Houston and the Human Research Program covers areas such as biomedical research, biotechnology development, operational space medicine and occupational health and medicine. SAIC will manage clinical, biomedical, space food and environmental laboratories; behavioral sciences; human factors engineering; spacecraft environment monitoring and management.

"Additional services include biomedical engineering; biomedical flight hardware requirements, design, fabrication, testing and operation; and payload and hardware integration with the International Space Station," the company said.

Among the many programs and offices that will benefit from AIC support are the International Space Station, Orion, Advanced Exploration Systems, Human Research, Commercial Crew and Cargo, and Space Technology Mission Directorate.

Two new separate contracts were given for project and engineering support and support for its research and technology efforts, the agency said.

Virginia-headquartered Millennium Engineering and Integration Co. was recipient of the first award, a cost-plus-fee hybrid contract with a potential value of $235 million.

Under the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, Millennium Engineering and Integration will provide support for flight and mission projects, and research and development at the NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. Work will specifically be performed for the center's Programs and Projects Directorate and the Engineering Directorate.

The award has a one-year period of performance with four one-year options.

NASA said Maryland companies Emergent Space Technologies Inc. and Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies Inc., together with Logyx Inc. of California, will support Millennium's work.

The second award, for research and technology support, was given to Universities Space Research Association of Columbia, Md.

Under a cost-plus-fixed fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, USRA will support research and technology efforts at the agency's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

The contract has a base performance period of four and a half years and is worth a maximum of $65 million.

"USRA will support applied research in Glenn's core competencies and enabling technologies, including understanding the effects of the space environment; materials and structures for aerospace applications; engine systems technologies for aerospace vehicles; in-space power and propulsion systems; instrumentation, sensors and controls for aeronautics and space systems; and technologies for safe and efficient aircraft operation in atmospheric icing conditions," NASA said.