Core Insights - KBR, Inc. secured a $2.459 billion contract from NASA, enhancing its backlog and potentially increasing the total contract value to approximately $3.6 billion through 2035 [1][9] - The stock price of KBR increased by 1.4% during the trading session and 1.1% in after-hours trading, reflecting positive investor sentiment due to the contract win [2] - KBR's new contract involves support services for various NASA programs, focusing on astronaut health and safety for future space missions [3][5] Backlog and Financial Performance - As of July 4, 2025, KBR's backlog rose 7.3% year-over-year to $21.57 billion, with the Mission Technology Solutions segment contributing $17.85 billion [12] - The trailing 12-month book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.0x, indicating a balanced inflow of new contracts relative to revenue [12] Partnership and Expertise - KBR has nearly six decades of experience in supporting human spaceflight operations, reinforcing its long-standing partnership with NASA [5] - Recent successful underwater tests for the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) demonstrate KBR's capabilities in developing next-generation spacesuits for NASA's Moon mission [6] Market Position and Stock Performance - KBR's shares have outperformed the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry, gaining 10.9% in the past month [8] - The company is well-positioned to benefit from favorable public spending in the U.S., despite facing macroeconomic challenges [11]

Core Insights - KBR and Axiom Space have successfully completed three crewed underwater tests of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, marking a significant milestone in support of NASA's lunar return efforts [1][2] - The AxEMU is being developed for NASA's Artemis III mission, with tests aimed at evaluating the suit's integrity in a simulated weightlessness environment, demonstrating that the suit is ready for advanced evaluations and future missions [2][3] Company Contributions - KBR's leadership in supporting human spaceflight and next-generation EVA systems is highlighted, showcasing its technical depth and operational excellence in collaboration with NASA and Axiom Space [3] - The successful tests are part of KBR's Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract, which focuses on the evaluation of the next-generation spacesuit designed for versatility and reliability in space exploration [3][4] Industry Context - Axiom Space emphasizes the importance of KBR's expertise in spacesuit innovation, which enhances the AxEMU's capabilities for astronauts to operate in the challenging lunar environment [4] - The collaboration between KBR and Axiom Space is positioned as a key support mechanism for the next era of human space exploration, facilitating astronaut training and mission execution [4]