Collins Aerospace to Provide Critical Subsystems for NASA’s Orion Spacecraft

January 29, 2020

Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. (Graphic courtesy of Lockheed) Martin

Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin to provide critical subsystems to support production of NASA’s Orion spacecraft fleet for Artemis missions III through VIII. Valued at $320 million, the systems being provided by Collins Aerospace 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.

The key subsystems for Orion to be provided by Collins Aerospace include:

Environmental control and life support systems that maintain a healthy and comfortable environment for the crew both in the spacecraft cabin and while isolated in launch and re-entry suits
Active thermal control systems, which 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

Work for the systems being provided for Orion will be performed at Collins Aerospace facilities in: