3 aerospace firms get jump on Ares deal

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

By SHELBY G. SPIRES

Times Aerospace Writer shelby.spires@htimes.com

Lockheed, Pratt & Whitney, ATK work toward contract

A team of aerospace companies here is trying to accomplish some get-ahead work in anticipation of winning a NASA Ares rocket contract.

In late 2006, ATK Launch Systems, Lockheed Martin Inc. and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne formed a joint venture called Team Ares to try to win the NASA contract for the second stage Ares I rocket.

Aerospace managers are working on composite materials, setting test procedures, developing parts of the upper stage's fuel tanks and building a full stage mock-up to streamline manufacturing procedures, said Jim Halsell, a retired NASA astronaut who is now ATK's vice president and program manager for Ares upper-stage work in Huntsville.

"Our team is not just sitting around waiting on this contract," Halsell said. "Each of the three companies involved in this is working on their specialties."

ATK is developing a composite structure manufacturing process that will make the rocket stage lighter and stronger, Halsell said.

"Composites can be challenging to work with and we are developing a way to inspect the (stage) to make sure it has not been damaged during handling and manufacturing," he said.

Lockheed Martin is working out manufacturing procedures at the Marshall Space Flight Center-managed Michoud Assembly Facility, near New Orleans, Halsell said. Lockheed Martin engineers are also working on the stage's fuel tank.

"NASA's design is to have one large tank with a common dome that separates the fuel, instead of two tanks," Halsell said. The one-tank design is intended to save weight.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is developing an alternative reaction control system thruster that is intended to keep the stage stable in flight.

"It should be more efficient and an upgrade over the ones in use today," Halsell said.

ATK has signed a seven-year lease on a 20,000-square-foot building in Cummings Research Park, "but it's not entirely tied to NASA work," said Mike Rudolphi, an ATK manager in Huntsville. "ATK also will use the facility to perform work on Army contracts and missile defense work."

If the team wins the NASA contract, Halsell said, "it would bring about 100 jobs into Huntsville."

A veteran of Marshall's space shuttle program office before joining ATK in March, Rudolphi said the Ares rockets will be less complicated than the space shuttle and will cost less to operate.

"The launch vehicle we are building is much simpler than the space shuttle, and it is based on space shuttle technology," Rudolphi said. "The shuttle has an orbiter that is reusable, which is very complicated in its systems.

"Making this launch vehicle less complicated is not just a goal. That's part of the design."

NASA aims for the Orion crew capsule to be reusable, but it won't be as complex as a winged shuttle orbiter, Rudolphi said, "and the Ares will use a J-2 engine and a solid rocket booster."

"Those systems are less complicated from the beginning than what we have on the shuttle today."

NASA expects to issue the second-stage contract in September.



3 aerospace firms get jump on Ares deal Tuesday, July 03, 2007 By SHELBY G. SPIRES Times Aerospace Writer shelby.spires@htimes.com Lockheed, Pratt & Whitney, ATK work toward contract A team of aerospace companies here is trying to accomplish some get-ahead work in anticipation of winning a NASA Ares rocket contract. In late 2006, ATK Launch Systems, Lockheed Martin Inc. and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne formed a joint venture called Team Ares to try to win the NASA contract for the second stage Ares I rocket. Aerospace managers are working on composite materials, setting test procedures, developing parts of the upper stage's fuel tanks and building a full stage mock-up to streamline manufacturing procedures, said Jim Halsell, a retired NASA astronaut who is now ATK's vice president and program manager for Ares upper-stage work in Huntsville. "Our team is not just sitting around waiting on this contract," Halsell said. "Each of the three companies involved in this is working on their specialties." ATK is developing a composite structure manufacturing process that will make the rocket stage lighter and stronger, Halsell said. "Composites can be challenging to work with and we are developing a way to inspect the (stage) to make sure it has not been damaged during handling and manufacturing," he said. Lockheed Martin is working out manufacturing procedures at the Marshall Space Flight Center-managed Michoud Assembly Facility, near New Orleans, Halsell said. Lockheed Martin engineers are also working on the stage's fuel tank. "NASA's design is to have one large tank with a common dome that separates the fuel, instead of two tanks," Halsell said. The one-tank design is intended to save weight. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is developing an alternative reaction control system thruster that is intended to keep the stage stable in flight. "It should be more efficient and an upgrade over the ones in use today," Halsell said. ATK has signed a seven-year lease on a 20,000-square-foot building in Cummings Research Park, "but it's not entirely tied to NASA work," said Mike Rudolphi, an ATK manager in Huntsville. "ATK also will use the facility to perform work on Army contracts and missile defense work." If the team wins the NASA contract, Halsell said, "it would bring about 100 jobs into Huntsville." A veteran of Marshall's space shuttle program office before joining ATK in March, Rudolphi said the Ares rockets will be less complicated than the space shuttle and will cost less to operate. "The launch vehicle we are building is much simpler than the space shuttle, and it is based on space shuttle technology," Rudolphi said. "The shuttle has an orbiter that is reusable, which is very complicated in its systems. "Making this launch vehicle less complicated is not just a goal. That's part of the design." NASA aims for the Orion crew capsule to be reusable, but it won't be as complex as a winged shuttle orbiter, Rudolphi said, "and the Ares will use a J-2 engine and a solid rocket booster." "Those systems are less complicated from the beginning than what we have on the shuttle today." NASA expects to issue the second-stage contract in September. © 2007 The Huntsville Times © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.