Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., has obtained a contract with Lockheed Martin to provide critical subsystems to produce NASA's Orion spacecraft fleet for Artemis missions III through VIII. Valued at $320 million, the systems Collins Aerospace is providing will play an important role in enabling NASA's goal of boots on the moon by 2024, as well as establishing a sustained presence on and around the moon to prepare for missions to Mars.
Key subsystems Collins Aerospace will provide Orion include:
• Environmental control and life support systems that maintain a healthy and comfortable environment for the crew in the spacecraft cabin and while isolated in launch and re-entry suits
• Active thermal control systems to provide liquid circulation throughout the spacecraft, picking up waste heat from the crew and vehicle electronics
• Power management and distribution hardware, providing power connectivity from external power sources and conditioned power to the crew and service modules
• Waste management systems to promote crewmember comfort and vehicle cleanliness
"We've been providing life-sustaining solutions for space for 50 years, and we're proud to be working with Lockheed Martin and NASA to enable decades of future exploration to the moon, Mars, and beyond," said Kevin Raftery, vice president and general manager, ISR and Space Solutions for Collins Aerospace.
Work for the Orion systems will be performed at Collins Aerospace facilities in:
• Windsor Locks, Connecticut
• Houston, Texas
• Rockford, Illinois
• San Dimas, California
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