First Stage Development Contract For ATK

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: August 14, 2007—A $1.8 billion contract has been received by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) from NASA for the design, development, test and evaluation (DDT&E) of the first stage of the agency’s nextgen human space flight vehicle, the Ares I. This contract extends through June of 2013. Included are flight tests that should start in 2009. Follow-on human flights are scheduled for no later than 2014, with the production hardware for those flights to be developed under a separate contract, which is expected after 2010.



Ares I is the next step in America’s space exploration road map. In fact, Ares I will replace the Space Shuttle as NASA’s human spaceflight workhorse. The first stage consists of a five-segment solid rocket booster. This is similar to the four-segment booster used for Space Shuttle launches. The fifth segment will increase the thrust of the launch vehicle and has been designed to fire for a similar time frame as the space shuttle solid rocket boosters, that being approximately two minutes.



Major project milestones include an early flight test in 2009, five ground tests of the five-segment RSRM in the 2009 to 2011 time frame, and three Ares I flight tests using the five-segment first stages between 2012 and 2013.



This contract includes systems engineering and related stage elements, such as structures, thrust vector control, avionics, ordnance, the separation system, and deceleration system. Ares I will launch NASA’s new Orion crew exploration vehicle with a crew of as many as six astronauts. Missions will be to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Orion is also able to carry a crew of four on lunar missions. The first stage of the launch vehicle is being and designed at ATK’s facilities in Utah, with the assistance of a team of nationwide subcontractors.