Catalyzes the phosphorylation of the beta-carboxyl group of aspartic acid with ATP to yield 4-phospho-L-aspartate, which is involved in the branched biosynthetic pathway leading to the biosynthesis of amino acids threonine, isoleucine and methionine. ATP + L-aspartate = 4-phospho-L-aspartate + ADP kcat is 1200 sec(-1). Amino-acid biosynthesis; L-lysine biosynthesis via DAP pathway; (S)-tetrahydrodipicolinate from L-aspartate: step 1/4. Amino-acid biosynthesis; L-methionine biosynthesis via de novo pathway; L-homoserine from L-aspartate: step 1/3. Amino-acid biosynthesis; L-threonine biosynthesis; L-threonine from L-aspartate: step 1/5. Monomer. Belongs to the aspartokinase family.