L-3 Communications’ Cincinnati Electronics subsidiary has been selected by Alliant Techsystems to provide the avionics subsystem and components for NASA’s Ares I launch vehicle. Alliant Techsystems is the primary contractor for the first stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle. This approximately $65 million effort will run through June 2014.
Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Orion crew exploration vehicle and its launch abort system. The vehicle’s primary mission is to carry crews of four astronauts to rendezvous with the Ares V Earth departure stage in Earth orbit for missions to the Moon. Additionally, Ares I may use its 25-ton payload capacity to deliver resources and supplies to the International Space Station, or “park” payloads in orbit for retrieval by other spacecraft bound for the moon and other destinations.
L-3 will be responsible for the design, development, qualification, certification, acceptance, and delivery of Ares I First Stage Avionics Subsystem (AS) Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). The First Stage LRUs will include a Booster Control Unit, Power Distribution Unit, Data Acquisition/Recorder Unit, Data Recovery Unit, Hydraulic Power Unit Controller, Ignition Separation Controller, and Recovery Control Unit.
