NASA Awards Ares First-Stage Contract
Posted on: Monday, 13 August 2007, 12:19 CDT
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has signed a $1.8 billion rocket contract with Alliant Techsystems Inc.
The Brigham City, Utah, company's contract is for the design, development, testing and evaluation of the first stage of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, including delivery of five ground static test motors, two ground vibration test articles and four flight test stages, including one for the Ares I-X test flight.
NASA said the cost-plus-award-fee contract was given to ATK on a sole-source basis. The contract performance period extends through 2014, with first stage boosters for operational missions to be purchased through a separate contract.
Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket that will transport the Orion crew exploration vehicle into low Earth orbit. Orion will accommodate as many as six astronauts. The first stage will consist of the five-segment solid rocket booster. The second, or upper, stage will consist of a J-2X liquid-oxygen, liquid-hydrogen engine, a new upper stage fuel tank and associated avionics.
The Ares V will enable NASA to launch payloads needed to travel to the moon and later to Mars.
Source: United Press International
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