Rendezvous and Berthing Operations of Company s S.S. Deke Slayton
II Spacecraft Proceeded Smoothly
Unloading of More Than 7,700 Pounds of Cargo Scheduled to Begin
Tomorrow with 50-Day Stay Planned at Station
DULLES, Va.Dec. 9, 2015--
Orbital
ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, today announced that the S.S. Deke Slayton II CygnusTM
spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and berthing procedures
with the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this morning. This is
the company s fourth successful berthing with the orbiting laboratory,
and the third under NASA s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.
Cygnus was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket
on December 6, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Over the
past several days, it completed a series of thruster firings and other
maneuvers bringing the spacecraft in close proximity to the ISS. Final
approach to the Station began at about 5:00 a.m. (EST), culminating with
Expedition 45 crew members grappling Cygnus with the Station s robotic
arm at 6:19 a.m. when it was approximately 30 feet from the ISS. Cygnus
was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the Unity
module of the ISS where its installation was completed at 9:26 a.m.
(EST).
This mission featured the debut of our enhanced Cygnus, which allowed
us to transport approximately 7,700 pounds, or 3,500 kilograms, of
essential supplies, equipment and scientific experiments to the
astronauts on board the ISS, said Frank Culbertson, President of
Orbital ATK s Space Systems Group. That represents a more than 50
percent increase in capacity over the previous Cygnus model. This
expanded cargo capability, along with Cygnus new UltraFlexTM
solar array and fuel tank enhancements, allows us to deliver greater
value to our NASA customer.
The Expedition 45 crew plans to open the Cygnus hatch and make initial
ingress into its cargo module tomorrow to unload the cargo, including
food, clothing, crew supplies, spare parts, laboratory equipment and
scientific experiments. Cygnus will remain berthed at the ISS for
approximately 50 days before departing with approximately 5,050 pounds
(2,300 kilograms) of disposable cargo for a safe, destructive reentry
over the Pacific Ocean.
Under the CRS contract with NASA, Orbital ATK will deliver approximately
62,000 pounds (28,000 kilograms) of cargo to the ISS over 10 missions
through 2018. To date, the company has delivered more than seven tons of
essential supplies to the ISS since the first mission conducted in early
2014, with three additional CRS missions scheduled for 2016. Another
Cygnus mission will be launched on an Atlas V in March, after which
Orbital ATK s Antares
rocket will launch at least two ISS resupply missions in the second and
fourth quarters of 2016.
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 approximately 12,000 people in 18 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:
Sean Wilson, 832-415-1254
Director,
Corporate Communications
sean.wilson@orbitalatk.com
or
Investor
Contact:
Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528
VP, Public and
Investor Relations
barron.beneski@orbitalatk.com