Constellium, Paris, is developing an aluminum-lithium alloy solution, Airware®, that will be used for NASA’s Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, for missions that will ultimately send humans farther into deep space than ever before. Airware’s inherent low density, high specific stiffness, strength, and excellent mechanical properties provide the high-performance characteristics required during the demanding launch and landing phases.
Constellium met recently with members of Congress and Congressional staff, including Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Senator Joe Manchin, Representative Carol Miller, and Representative David McKinley from West Virginia, to advocate on behalf of suppliers nationwide.
More than 18,000 jobs across all 50 states are involved in launching the first woman and next man to the Moon, and Constellium highlighted their contributions along with about 130 Space Launch System, Exploration Ground Systems and Orion supplier companies from across 35 states at the ninth annual suppliers’ conference, held virtually this year.
Under NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will first test the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights, and the journey to the launchpad for Artemis I is well underway. The agency recently performed a test of the rocket’s core stage, and the Orion spacecraft transferred from Lockheed Martin to NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team at Kennedy Space Center for processing and preparation for launch. In addition, Exploration Ground Systems is nearing the completion of booster stacking, the assembly of the five-segment 177-foot long twin solid rocket boosters, at Kennedy’s massive Vehicle Assembly Building.
For more information: Constellium
