NEW YORK, 12 Nov. 2007. L-3 Communications' Cincinnati Electronics (L-3 CE) subsidiary has been selected by Alliant Techsystems to provide the avionics subsystem and components for NASA's Ares I launch vehicle. This approximately $65 million program effort will run through June 2014. ATK is serving as the prime contractor for the first stage of the Ares 1 crew launch vehicle.

L-3's work in the Design, Development, Test & Evaluation phase include design, development, qualification, certification, acceptance, and delivery of Ares I First Stage Avionics Subsystem (AS) Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). The First Stage LRUs L-3 is responsible for include the Booster Control Unit, Power Distribution Unit, Data Acquisition/Recorder Unit, Data Recovery Unit, Hydraulic Power Unit Controller, Ignition Separation Controller, and the Recovery Control Unit.

NASA is developing hardware and systems for the Ares family of launch vehicles, which will send future astronauts into orbit.

Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Orion crew exploration vehicle and its launch abort system. In addition to the vehicle's primary mission -- carrying crews of four astronauts to rendezvous with the Ares V Earth departure stage in Earth orbit for missions to the moon -- Ares I may also use its 25-ton payload capacity to deliver resources and supplies to the International Space Station, or to "park" payloads in orbit for retrieval by other spacecraft bound for the moon or other destinations.