NASA and ATK team up for first stage of Ares I and V rockets

William Atkins
Monday, 13 August 2007 20:44

Science - Space

NASA has contracted with Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) for the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the first stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle.

The $1.8 billion cost-plus-award-fee contract includes the building of five ground static test motors, two ground vibration test articles, and four flight test stages. The contract runs from April 17, 2006 to December 31, 2014. If the contract is successful for ATK, NASA will purchase the first stage boosters for its operational missions through another contract.

Defense and space systems contractor Alliant Techsystems is headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, while its Thiokol plant in Utah (outside of Brigham City) manufactures the rockets. It is the only company in the United States with the ability to build these solid rocket boosters for NASA.

The Ares I first stage will be a five-segment reusable solid rocket booster (SRB), which is derived from the four-segment design used in the SRBs for the space shuttle fleet. Ares I will provide the the first-stage power to take U.S. astronauts into Earth orbit for later destinations to the International Space Station, the Moon, and eventually to Mars.

The Ares V first stage will consist of two five-segment SRBs. The cargo launch vehicle will launch the earth departure stage (EDS) and the lunar surface access module (LSAM) for NASA’s scheduled return to the moon in the late 2010s, or possibly early 2020s.

Both rockets are part of the next-generation Constellation Project, which replaces the Space Transportation System (STS) and the space shuttle fleet. The new manned capsule for the project consists of the Orion spacecraft, which replaces the shuttle orbiter.

This article was based primarily from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration article “NASA Awards First Stage Contract for Ares Rockets”.