Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin [LMT] is trying to assist in the space exploration initiative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by forming a business unit to respond to that opportunity. The Denver-based unit, called Space Exploration, will be led by Atlas launch veteran John Karas and operated as part of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

Karas will report to G. Thomas Marsh, executive vice president for Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and will be supported by Jay Honeycutt, vice president and special assistant for Human Spaceflight and Space Shuttle Return to Flight. The move follows on the heels of President Bush’s recent call for robotic and human exploration of space that would eventually return humans to the moon and send humans to Mars.

Lockheed Martin is looking to unlock its enormous systems engineering expertise, extensive exploration experience and unique facilities to help NASA achieve its vision for space exploration, said G. Thomas Marsh. Karas previously was vice president, Atlas and Advanced Space Transportation. That responsibility included launch systems development and recurring operations for the Atlas/Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program and advanced space transportation opportunities such as Orbital Space Plane and other manned, unmanned, reusable and expendable systems.