Axiom and Nupress selected for Lockheed Martin’s Orion spacecraft program

Two Australian companies, Adelaide-based Axiom Precision Manufacturing and the Newcastle-based Nupress Group, have been selected as global supply chain partners by Lockheed Martin for the Orion spacecraft program, a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis manned missions to the Moon.

Lockheed Martin’s decision to select Axiom and Nupress to supply precision machined components for the Orion program followed a rigorous evaluation process, focusing on their substantial cost-saving proposals, exceptional customer responsiveness and reduced lead times.

Having previously established themselves as industry partners on the F-35 program, Axiom and Nupress were identified as potential partners for the Orion program during a roadshow led by Lockheed Martin’s Office of Australian Industrial Participation team.

Since receiving their space quality certifications, Axiom has so far secured one contract while Nupress has already secured two contracts. The contracts were awarded under Lockheed Martin’s Global Supply Chain (GSC) Program agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia.

Both companies are poised for growth as they rise to meet the future production demands of this historic endeavour.

The Orion Production and Operations Contract (OPOC), an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, encompasses up to twelve vehicles, divided into three or four different orders. Up to six additional Orion spacecraft may be ordered under the IDIQ contract, leveraging production cost data from the previous six missions to enable optimised unit prices.