Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has reached an agreement with United Space Alliance (USA) for that firm to perform subcontractor support to ATK for NASA's Ares I launch vehicle. In December 2005, NASA named ATK as the prime contractor for the Ares I first stage and subsequently awarded a multi-year contract to the company for the design, development, test, and evaluation phase of the program. Ares I is NASA's next-generation human space flight launch vehicle. ATK will continue to support NASA with overall requirements maturation, integration, and establishment of interfaces within the first stage subsystems. ATK also will provide first stage and system level avionics, and coordinate a variety of supplier and subcontractor efforts for both the solid rocket segments and the new first stage assembly components. USA's work scope includes engineering and analysis support to ensure space shuttle Solid Rocket Booster hardware meets the new Ares first stage requirements, refurbishment of Space Shuttle components and subsystems for the first stage, and procurement of several avionics and ordnance components. USA also has a role in the deceleration subsystem with the new parachutes design, development, and testing. USA will provide skilled personnel to build up and integrate the new forward structures, designed by ATK.