Axient Joint Venture, Metis Technology Partners, to Provide Safety Oversight for DoD and NASA Launch Pad Operations

Albuquerque, NM – February 09, 2022 — Metis Technology Partners, LLC (MTP), a joint venture between Axient LLC and Metis Technology Solutions, Inc., was awarded the United States Space Force (USSF) Pad Safety Support Contract (PSSC) II, an indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity (IDIQ) single-award contract valued at up to $53.5M. MTP will partner with Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45) to facilitate the safe launch of DoD National Security Space, National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), commercial and Naval missions.

MTP will provide oversight of hazardous and safety critical operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and other sites, such as Kennedy Space Center, Patrick Space Force Base, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, and other locations in Utah, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, and others as requested by the customer. With the option of firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost reimbursable task orders, the PSSC II contract provides a wide range of operational and technical services to SLD 45’s comprehensive safety program. The PSSC II MTP team will add value to the ever-increasing launch tempo operations on the Eastern Range, forecast to exceed 60 launches in 2022, while working to ensure public safety in partnership with SLD 45.

Key mission areas of performance include: oversight of Flight Termination System integration and checkout; spacecraft fueling/defueling; spacecraft and launch vehicle lifting and transport operations; launch operations; and incident response. Additionally, the MTP team will develop launch safety planning documentation, provide technical reviews for new space lift programs to characterize hazards, perform pad safety training, and provide hazard abatement as part of range safety approval. Additionally, the team will administer, facilitate, and implement the Pressure Vessel/System certification/re-certification program at SLD 45.

“MTP is dedicated to launch safety, and our systems engineering team brings a wealth of aerospace expertise and experience to the SLD 45 missions,” said Joy Colucci, Managing Partner of the MTP JV and founder and CEO of Metis. “The Metis team is committed to bringing innovative solutions to address today’s aerospace challenges, and we look forward to working together with Axient to support launch base operations.”

“We are proud to continue to deliver exceptional performance to the US Space Force and their launch safety mission. Axient looks forward to continuing our 15+ year heritage with this customer providing market-leading launch and range safety expertise on this contract,” said Patrick Murphy, President and CEO of Axient.

Metis Technology Partners is a joint venture formed under the Small Business Administration’s Mentor Protégé program. Protégé company and joint venture Managing Member, Metis Technology Solutions, is a 100% woman-owned small business and software and systems engineering aerospace company headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Axient is a systems engineering and technical services company headquartered in Huntsville, AL. The company has a 30-year history providing superior technical and systems services to aerospace customers, including multiple USSF contracts.