USA: Looking For Ways To Hang On

USA employees had better be sharpening up their resumes and CVs and be looking for alternative work. They'd better not be counting on a Shuttle extension either. I personally would have preferred to keep the Shuttles flying a few more years to give the commercial sector more time to develop, and to better maximize use of the ISS, but a Shuttle extension looks increasingly unlikely to me.

A shortsighted, cynical move by USA management.

"This really about protecting our rates to be competitive for future follow on work."

Follow on work?

USA was formed and awarded the contract to process the Shuttle against the strong objections of NASA.

Do you think they are going to make that same mistake again?

Huh? Quite the opposite. USA was formed because NASA wanted a single contractor. NASA didn't not object, it enable it.

How about the performance bonuses? Oh, that's right, that's art of M&A or some such contact stuff that can't be changed, or something. Great way to keep the troopies motivated.

USA has some great workers. I have a lot of friends there, including some who, believe it or not, just recently got hired and I can tell you many of them are polishing resumes and keeping their eyes open for opportunities elsewhere. The problem is the job market is so awful right now, nobody wants to take the chance of leaving USA and looking elsewhere and potentially ending up with nothing or possibly getting hired by another company and then laid off a month later. It's safer to stick it out and hope you don't end up being one of the people cut.

That much said, I think USA should be dissolved after the shuttle program ends. If a similar partnership is desired in 5+ years for Constellation, then NASA should recompete the contract and give it to a new entity. But USA is a joint effort by Boeing and LockMart - who built most of the shuttle in the first place (or, rather, they bought all the companies who did). Ares/Orion/Altair will be built by more than just those two, such as Northrop Grumman who would be perfect for Altair. Don't forget ATK either. Those companies will have a vested interest in the success of Constellation and so IF the single-operator model is desired, they should have an ownership role as well, not just BoLockMart.