Assured access: Amentum’s pioneering role in space operations

The landscape of space exploration and defense is rapidly evolving, with increasing demands for innovation, safety and logistical coordination. As space becomes a critical arena for national security, organizations like NASA and the U.S. Space Force face significant challenges, from coordinating launches to maintaining facilities and ensuring safety.

In this high-stakes environment, Amentum plays a pivotal role, offering comprehensive support throughout the entire mission lifecycle. With more than four decades of experience in space launches, Amentum’s expertise is integral to advancing government missions.

“The world has been launching things into space for well over 60 years now,” said Dan Ourada, Amentum’s vice president of ranges and aerial operations (RAO) and logistics and supply chain (LSC) business development. “It's quite crowded up there and it's very much a separate domain. Space requires a layer of precision and focus on the application of advanced technologies, processes, procedures and people to keep assured access as a surety for our nation.”

The rising demand for infrastructure 

The expansion of space activities has led to a growing demand for reliable infrastructure, which Ourada said must be updated to ensure adequate safety and logistical coordination in an environment where even minor errors can have catastrophic consequences. 

“The infrastructure that we have in the United States for launching into space was built in the 1960s and hasn't been majorly overhauled since the 1980s,” Ourada said. “These technologies require exquisite levels of maintenance and understanding, and it requires an approach to preventative and corrective maintenance that's much more labor intensive and much less automated to make that range safe and ready to launch.”

As space operations evolve, the pressure to modernize these aging systems intensifies. However, managing multiple launches and coordinating among various stakeholders presents significant challenges. This underscores the need for comprehensive, forward-looking strategies to meet the demands of today's space missions while ensuring safety and reliability.

With a focus on modernization and predictive maintenance, Amentum helps space agencies optimize their operations and maintain the reliability of critical infrastructure. For example, the company supports the National Space Test and Training Complex in Colorado Springs, the range where the Space Force can practice, develop and employ training & test tactics for space operations. 

Preparing for launch

One of the main challenges in coordinating space launches is ensuring the safety and readiness of personnel. Training is a top priority to ensure workers meet the specific demands of each mission.

“It's really hard to explain the amount of hours, labor, focus and precision that goes into preparing the resources for a launch,” Ourada said. “It's much larger and much more involved than what you see in the 30-second launch they play on TV.”

Despite the increasing frequency of space launches, each mission remains distinct and complex. Amentum’s expertise in infrastructure, people and client collaboration has been instrumental since the days of the space shuttle, providing essential support services directly on base. 

Amentum’s prowess helps drive successful space missions through its Kennedy Space Center Base Operations Support Services (BOSS) contract. Under this contract, Amentum is responsible for a wide range of services to ensure that all launch-related infrastructure is meticulously prepared and adaptable to the unique needs of each mission. This includes managing, power system, facilities, lighting, water, fire safety, environmental controls and fuels. 

Amentum also oversees the seamless assembly and transportation of payloads, and the precise timing, staging and resetting the range for subsequent missions — processes that demand close and collaborative partnerships with clients. 

“Our clients have millions, sometimes billions, of dollars on the line with these launches, so it's a no-mistake environment,” Ourada said. “From the parts to the people to the processes, they have to be executed with precision every single time.” 

Amentum’s expertise in fuel technology and logistics will be critical in ensuring mission success and operational resilience, especially as organizations rely more heavily on unconventional fuels to support space missions or remote defense installations, where alternative fuels are necessary to maintain operations over extended periods without resupply. By delivering comprehensive access to liquid propellants, pressurants, cryogenics, chemicals and specialized fluids, Amentum ensures the success of some of the most critical and high-profile missions.

Amentum in action: The Pacific Missile Range Facility

Amentum showcased its expertise in managing complex integration projects at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) during a recent successful hypersonic missile test for the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin under the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program. The company’s role involved synchronizing all range assets — telemetry, radar systems and even underwater tracking systems — to ensure a safe and operational environment for the launch.

Amentum expertly managed and synchronized materials, labor and maintenance cycles by utilizing proprietary data analytics and business systems applications within a secure environment. Its integration with government management tools provided full transparency and ensured readiness for the launch.

Amentum’s approach also included predictive and preventative maintenance. By analyzing data, it anticipated potential issues and pre-positioned resources, including spare parts, to address any problems swiftly. For instance, ahead of the high-stakes CPS test, Amentum’s predictive maintenance allowed it to be prepared with spare parts that they could deploy within an hour if needed.

“We had spare parts that we pulled out of the warehouse ready to replace, even though we knew from our predictive and preventative maintenance that the system was probably going to work,” Ourada shared. “These launches are very high stakes for our clients, so if a critical instrument goes down 24 hours to countdown, rather than have the parts sitting in the warehouse, we prepare them to be ready to bring that system back up online.” 

Looking ahead 

As the space industry anticipates increased launch activity, organizations like NASA and Space Force are focusing on upgrading and integrating their infrastructure. With more than 50 years of experience, Amentum is poised to meet these demands through robust support systems and forward-thinking strategies.

“What we’re really focused on with our model-based systems engineering, our predictive maintenance and our space engineering centers is having the requisite skill sets and experience to be ready for the integration and the engineering of new systems in the infrastructure that our clients desire,” Ourada said.

Additionally, Amentum will enhance its capabilities to address these growing needs through its upcoming merger with Jacobs' Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses. The integration will leverage Amentum’s engineering and program management expertise alongside Jacobs' advanced engineering and science capabilities. Expected to close in the latter half of fiscal year 2024, the deal is anticipated to deliver approximately $50-70 million in net cost synergies and strengthen growth opportunities, supported by a combined $47 billion backlog and $14 billion in pro-forma revenue expected for fiscal year 2025. 

“I think you're going to see a much larger and more capable Amentum here soon,” Ourada said. “It's a merger that's going to be very good for the country, for the Space Force and for NASA.”

Learn more about how Amentum is supporting missions in space.