AFSPC-5 the Third of Eight Atlas V Launches in 2015
DULLES, Va.May 20, 2015--
Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, supported the third successful launch this year of a
United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral,
Florida. Today s mission included payloads from the U.S. Air Force s
Space Command program and NASA s Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM)
program.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (May 20, 2015) A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket successfully launched the AFSPC-5 satellite for the U.S. Air Force at 11:05 a.m. EDT today from Space Launch Complex-41. This is ULA's fifth launch in 2015 and the 96th successful launch since the company was formed in December 2006. Photo: ULA
Witnessing yet another successful launch of an Atlas V serves as a
reminder of how much Orbital ATK values our partnership with ULA, said
Ron Grabe, President of Orbital ATK s Flight Systems Group. Our highly
engineered composite and control products play an important role in
ensuring dependable access to space and affordable innovation for our
customers.
For the ULA Atlas V rocket, Orbital ATK produced several large composite
assemblies, including the 10-foot diameter composite heat shield, which
provides higher performance with lower weight and essential protection
for the first stage of the launch vehicle from engine exhaust
temperatures in excess of 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Orbital ATK also
produced the Centaur Interstage Adapter (CISA) that houses the second
stage engine, and the boattail that adapts the core vehicle to the
five-meter diameter fairing. These assemblies were fabricated using
advanced fiber placement manufacturing techniques at Orbital ATK's Iuka,
Mississippi facility. This is the 54th Atlas V launch using
Orbital ATK-built composite structures.
This launch also marked the 19th successful flight of Orbital
ATK-produced retro motors. Eight of these solid motors supported
separation of the spent first stage. The Atlas retrorocket is built at
Orbital ATK s Missile Defense and Controls facility in Elkton, Maryland.
Today s mission included two payloads designed to test alternative forms
of space propulsion. The primary payload was the U.S. Air Force Orbital
Test Vehicle (OTV), a reusable unmanned spacecraft also known as the
X-37B. Flying under NASA s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program,
the secondary payload flown was a Planetary Society-sponsored LightSail
2 solar sail test vehicle designed to use solar wind for its primary
propulsion.
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
Media Contact:
Orbital ATK Aerospace Structures
Bryan
Warren, 801-775-1233
Sr. Communications Manager
bryan.warren@orbitalatk.com
or
Investor
Contact:
Orbital ATK
Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528
Public
and Investor Relations
barron.beneski@orbitalatk.com