Orbital ATK s Minotaur IV will Launch SensorSat Space Vehicle to Orbit
DULLES, Va.Jul. 14, 2015--
Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE:OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, received a $23.6M contract from the U.S. Air Force s
Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office to launch the ORS-5
SensorSat spacecraft in mid-2017, using a rocket from the company s
Minotaur Launch Vehicle Family.
An Orbital ATK Minotaur IV launched NASA's Ladee spacecraft on its mission to the moon on September 6, 2013. Minotaur Vehicles provide the lowest-cost launch option for small and medium-class payloads. (Photo: Business Wire)
The ORS-5 mission will employ an Orbital ATK Minotaur IV rocket lifting
off from Launch Complex-46, operated by Space Florida at Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station. This will be the first time a Minotaur vehicle will
have flown from this range.
Launching from the Cape adds another capability to our program and
brings us to four ranges from which Minotaur can launch, said Rich
Straka, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK s Launch
Vehicles Division. This flexibility and multiple vehicle configurations
enables Minotaur launch vehicles to be tailored to meet mission
requirements while offering the lowest cost flight-proven launch
vehicles available to the U.S. government.
This Minotaur IV rocket uses retired Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
(ICBM) Peacekeeper boosters for the first three stages and Orbital ATK
Orion 38 solid rocket motors for the upper stages. Orbital ATK
integrates the vehicle using flight-proven avionics, structures,
software and other components that are common among Orbital ATK s space
launch vehicles.
Using a launch vehicle comprised of solid rocket motors requires minimal
pad infrastructure, which helps lower mission costs. The team will
integrate the final launch vehicle using the Orbital ATK team at the
Cape with a team comprised of employees from both Orbital and ATK
heritage companies.
This is a prime example of where the synergies from the Orbital ATK
merger are providing real benefits to our customers, by being able to
deploy one launch team that possesses expertise from critical propulsion
and avionics subsystems, to the full systems engineering understanding
of the vehicle, said Scott Lehr, President of Orbital ATK s Flight
Systems Group.
The award was won as a competitive commercial launch contract for the
Operationally Responsive Space Office and will be licensed by the FAA.
The Minotaur family of vehicles has carried out 25
consecutive launches with a 100% mission success record and has placed a
total of 74 satellites into orbit. Employing a combination of U.S.
government-supplied rocket motors and Orbital ATK's proven commercial
launch technologies provides incredible cost-savings for government
payloads, enables the U.S. to compete with other countries who use their
retired assets for commercial launch and keeps a critical skilled
workforce employed.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies.
The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation
systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and
merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related
propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense
electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition;
satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced
aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK
employs more than 12,000 people in 20 states across the U.S. and in
several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
Source: Orbital ATK, Inc.
Orbital ATK
Media Contact:
Trina Helquist, 480-814-6504
Launch
Vehicle Division Public Relations
trina.helquist@orbitalatk.com
or
Investor
Contact:
Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528
Public and Investor
Relations
barron.beneski@orbitalatk.com