Ares I is a major element of the new space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA to carry out the next steps in America’s space exploration roadmap.
The multi-year development contract extends through June 2013 and includes flight tests beginning in 2009. Follow- on human flights are scheduled for no later than 2014, and production hardware for those flights will be developed under a separate contract expected after 2010.
Ron Dittemore, president, ATK Launch Systems Group, said: Our entire team is fully committed to supporting NASA as we work together to build this new launch vehicle for the future.
Ares I has tremendous capabilities for cargo and human transportation to low earth orbit, and with the built-in heritage of the Apollo and Shuttle programs, it will be the most reliable launch vehicle ever developed, he added.
