WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA on Wednesday awarded Boeing Co. a $799.5 million contract to produce an avionics system that will control the Ares I rocket, which will be used to send astronauts back to the moon.
The latest deal is the final major contract award for the program that will launch the Orion crew exploration vehicle into orbit by 2020. Over the last five months, NASA has awarded nearly $5 billion in contracts to companies including Boeing; Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp.; and Alliant Techsystems Inc.
Boeing beat out Ball Aerospace, a unit of Broomfield, Colo.-based Ball Corp. for the deal.
The avionics are considered the ''brains'' of the Ares I rocket and will provide guidance, navigation and control for the rocket until it reaches orbit. The system is also responsible for managing vehicle health and reporting to flight controllers engine shut down and first stage separation.
The company will develop and acquire the avionics hardware for the rocket, as well as assemble, inspect and integrate the system's components on the upper stage of the rocket. The parts will be manufactured by Boeing suppliers across the country.
Final integration of all the components will take place at NASA's Michoud assembly facility in Louisiana.
Boeing said it expects to hire up to 100 technical personnel to support NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The company also will develop and acquire avionics hardware for the rocket and assemble, inspect and integrate the avionics system components on the upper stage. Components will be manufactured by the prime contractor's suppliers across the country. Final integration and checkout will take place at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.
Shares of Boeing fell $1.78, or 2 percent, to close at $86.92, while shares of Ball rose 45 cents to close at $45.47.