Alliant lands $1.8 billion Ares contract

Firm will design, develop, test new crew launch craft

NASA has signed a $1.8 billion contract with Alliant Techsystems, known as ATK, located near Brigham City, Utah, to design, develop, test and evaluate the first stage of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles.

The contract continues work that began last year and includes 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 awarded the cost-plus-award-fee contract to ATK on a sole-source basis. The contract performance period extends through 2014. First-stage boosters for operational missions will be purchased through a separate contract.

The first stage is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center for NASA's Constellation Program.

ATK has offices in Huntsville.

NASA said ATK and its subcontractors possess the unique engineering capabilities for successful design and development of the first stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle.

The Ares I first stage will be a five-segment solid rocket booster based on the four-segment design used for the shuttle. The basic design will draw on current hardware, facilities and manufacturing equipment qualified for human-rated solid rocket boosters.

The first stage will incorporate modifications to the current booster that are unique to the Ares I architecture to meet higher performance and reliability requirements for the Ares vehicles. Modifications include the additional segment and new solid rocket booster components.

Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket designed to transport the Orion crew exploration vehicle to low Earth orbit. Ares V will enable NASA to launch a variety of science and exploration payloads, as well as key components, needed to travel to the moon and later to Mars.