NASA gave three companies contracts for liquid nitrogen, or LN2, and liquid oxygen, or LOX.

The firms will supply six NASA facilities supporting activities for the Space Operations Mission Directorate and Exploration System Mission Directorate.

Linde LLC of Murray Hill, N.J., gained a new fixed-price contract to supply about 256,500 tons of LN2 and some 173,000 tons of LOX to Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans over five years.

The three-year base period contract with two one-year options has a maximum value of about $28.8 million. The contract begins July 1, 2009.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. of Allentown, Pa. received a new fixed-price contract to supply roughly 197,250 tons of LN2 and about 26,000 tons of LOX to support Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., over five years. The three-year base period contract with two one-year options has a maximum value of about $14.2 million. It begins July 1.

Under these contracts, the LN2 will be used for pneumatic actuation, purging, cooling and pressurization of equipment. The LOX will be used as an oxidizer in cryogenic rocket engines.

Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP of Houston has been awarded a new fixed-price contract to supply some 90,000 tons of LN2 and roughly 1,300 tons of LOX to Johnson Space Center in Houston over five years. The three-year base period contract with two one-year options has a maximum value of about $6.1 million, and begins July 1.

Under this contract, the LN2 will be used for pneumatic actuation, purging, cooling and pressurization of equipment. The LOX will be used for astronauts top breathe.

Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for releasing the LN2 and LOX solicitation, known as the NASA Acquisition of Nitrogen and Oxygen, on behalf of the agency.