Lockheed Receives $7.5 Million Grant From Texas Enterprise Fund

Lockheed Martin is getting a seven and a-half (M) million dollar Texas grant as it prepares to build the Orion (uh-RY’-un) crew exploration vehicle.Gov. Rick Perry made the announcement today at Space Center Houston as part of an effort that’s expected to include one-thousand new jobs.

NASA two weeks ago announced Lockheed Martin won the multi (B) billion dollar contract to build the Orion manned lunar space craft.

NASA anticipates building eight of the reusable spaceships through 2019 — replacing the space shuttle.

The grant comes from the Texas Enterprise Fund.

Perry’s office says Lockheed Martin, through the Orion project in the Houston area, is expected to invest about 68 (M) million dollars in the Texas economy.

Bethesda, Maryland,-based Lockheed is the nation’s largest defense contractor.