US Amentum Secures $974 Million Maintenance Contract at NASA Langley Center

en.Wedoany.com Reported - US-based engineering and technology group Amentum has been awarded a contract worth $974 million to provide maintenance and operations services for NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

The agreement, named "Center Maintenance, Operations and Engineering II (CMOE II)," extends a partnership between Amentum and NASA spanning more than 60 years. Langley is one of NASA's oldest and most significant research bases, housing wind tunnels and laboratories used for aerospace and space exploration research. This type of contract falls under facility and infrastructure support agreements: Amentum's work is not about building spacecraft or conducting research itself, but rather ensuring the continued operation of power, utilities, laboratory systems, and scientific infrastructure such as wind tunnels—the prerequisite for Langley's research activities to proceed.

Under the terms of CMOE II, Amentum will provide preventive maintenance, repair, and central utility operations for Langley's institutional and research facilities, as well as assume design, project, construction, and configuration management, along with pressure system recertification—a technical requirement for high-pressure equipment in aerospace testing.

Mark Walter, President of Amentum's Engineering & Technology business, stated that the range of solutions and capabilities the company provides will ensure Langley continues to play a critical role in advancing space science and deep space exploration; Amentum's technical expertise and flexible management strategies have played a significant role in supporting NASA in addressing key challenges and driving future innovation.

Beyond routine maintenance, Amentum will also lead capital improvements at the site, including automation of laboratory systems and wind tunnel test facilities. Modernizing research utilities and control systems that are decades old typically yields efficiency gains, reduced energy intensity, and lower operating costs over the facility lifecycle. Federal research facilities are themselves significant energy consumers: laboratories run continuously, and energy-intensive wind tunnel testing operates around the clock, placing such contracts at the intersection of maintenance and modernization economics, underpinning substantial critical national infrastructure that is decades old and in urgent need of upgrades.

Amentum's positioning aligns with this framework: the company states its commitment to solving science, security, and sustainability challenges for the United States and its allies, and currently employs approximately 50,000 people across more than 70 countries. The press release did not provide specific energy savings targets or automation work timelines.

Amentum's collaboration in the energy sector spans multiple nuclear projects. As a project delivery partner for Rolls-Royce's Small Modular Reactor (SMR), Amentum has been designated to lead integration, oversight, and governance, as well as construction management and execution, for the first reactor deployments in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. Rolls-Royce states that its SMR technology can provide up to 1.5 gigawatts of low-carbon electricity to the UK grid and support more than 8,000 long-term jobs. Amentum CEO John Heller described the partnership as "a key enabler for strengthening energy security in the UK and mainland Europe." Unlike traditional reactors, SMRs are manufactured in factory-prefabricated modules and assembled on site, reducing construction risk and cost.

Amentum's relationship with Électricité de France (EDF) dates back decades, formalized through the signing of the Lifetime Enterprise Agreement in 2015. In January 2026, the two companies agreed to a new contract worth up to $730 million, covering the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and EDF's operating fleet. Under the previous agreement, Amentum's work helped EDF achieve a cumulative 38 years of extended life across seven Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor stations. Amentum Senior Vice President Loren Jones described the company as "an ideal partner for EDF," which is one of the world's largest nuclear utility companies. Amentum is also the sole delivery partner for EDF's new nuclear power station, Sizewell C.

In October 2025, Amentum secured a significant share of a fifteen-year "Decommissioning and Nuclear Waste Partnership" contract at the Sellafield nuclear site in the UK, with a contract value of up to £1.4 billion. The company was selected as the remediation partner for the site's "High Security Area," tasked with addressing the UK's oldest nuclear legacy hazards. Waste retrieval work includes the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond, which operated for more than 30 years from the late 1950s. Amentum plans to deploy the "Bulk Sludge Retrieval Tool," a vacuum suction system used to remove radioactive sludge from nuclear fuel ponds. Remotely operated vehicles will perform inspection and cutting work in high-radiation areas to reduce risk to workers.