HOUSTON -- NASA has exercised a $294 million option to extend a contract with Wyle Laboratories Inc. of Houston to support the Space Life Sciences Directorate at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The option extends the contract to 2011.

Under the bioastronautics contract, Wyle's work supports the International Space Station, Space Shuttle, Constellation, and the Human Research programs. Wyle maintains readiness of space and life sciences-related facilities and laboratories; provides services for program integration, habitability and environmental factors; human adaptation and countermeasures; space medicine; flight hardware; and human research activities.

The work is performed at Johnson, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Wyle Laboratories has held the contract for four years. The contract has a base period of five years from May 1, 2003, to April 30, 2008, valued at $479 million, with two extension options. The option NASA is exercising extends the contract to April 30, 2011. A second option, if exercised, would extend the contract to April 30, 2013. If both options are exercised, the total potential value of the contract is $973 million.

Major subcontractors include Barrios Technology, Bastion Technologies, Easi, Muniz Engineering and Lockheed Martin, all in Houston; Futron of Bethesda, Md.; and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.