Alliant Techsystems designed and produced the composite structure for the High- Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, part of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft launched recently aboard an Atlas V 400 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. As the largest- diameter telescopic camera ever sent to another planet, it will photograph hundreds of targeted areas in unprecedented detail, revealing secrets about the geology of Mars and candidate landing sites for future missions.
ATK provided strong, lightweight, precision composite camera structures for the HiRISE instrument, comprising the baffle tube, secondary mirror support structure and optical bench, designed to ensure the necessary dimensional stability required in the harsh environment of space.
The Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. HiRISE camera is able to capture images 10 times the area of current technologies at higher resolution than ever before.
ATK composite technologies were also used to manufacture the 12-foot diameter heat shield assembly that surrounds the Atlas V 400 RD-180 main engine. The heat shield has been used successfully on all five Atlas V missions.
ATK is a $3.1 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 14,000 people in 23 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com .
