Will Supply Aluminum-Lithium Plates For Booster

Aluminum parts supplier Alcoa announced Wednesday its North American Rolled Products business has won a one year contract from NASA, to develop the manufacturing capability and supply of high performance aluminum-lithium plate and ingot to be used for the Ares 1 crew launch vehicle (CLV) upper stage, the rocket that will carry the space agency's next-generation Orion manned space vehicle.

The material will be sourced from Alcoa's Davenport Works in Iowa, and the Alcoa Technical Center near Pittsburgh, PA.

"We are excited about the opportunity to be involved in the design, development, and future production of the next generation of spacecraft. Receiving this contract speaks to NASA's confidence in Alcoa's ability to provide leading edge materials and new aerospace technology solutions," says Tony Morales, Global Marketing Director-Aerospace.

Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket that will transport to low-Earth orbit the Orion crew exploration vehicle carrying a team of up to six astronauts.

The first stage will consist of a single reusable solid rocket booster similar to those used on the space shuttle. The second, or upper stage, will consist of a J-2X main engine fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

In addition to carrying crews into orbit, the launch vehicle's 25-ton payload capacity could be used to deliver resources and supplies to the International Space Station or to "park" payloads in orbit for retrieval by other exploration teams heading for the moon.

Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers.

FMI: www.alcoa.com