Orange County, which has played a key role in manned space flight since the early days of NASA, is emerging as an important contributor to Ares 1, the rocket that will launch up to six astronauts into space aboard the Orion spacecraft.

NASA has awarded contracts to 21 small Orange County companies to design, build, support or provide parts for Ares I, a two-stage booster that will be capable of sending crews to the moon and delivering cargo to the International Space Station.

The contractors include Endevco Corp. of San Juan Capistrano, which produces accelerometers and shock sensors, Thermech Engineering of Anaheim, a plastics maker, and Altemps Alloys of Orange, which supplies high temperature materials, mostly for the defense industry.

Boeing’s Huntington Beach plant also is involved in program, having already done research on the heat shield that might be used on Orion. Boeing is a major sub-contractor on Project Constellation, which is developing the crew vehicle that will eventually replace the space shuttle and likely carry astronauts to the moon. The first manned flights involving Ares I are tentatively scheduled for 2015.

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Posted in: Ain't that interesting? • Boeing Co. |

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