Orion Motors Program Celebrates Over a Decade of Success
Alliant Techsystems received a $35 million contract from Orbital Sciences Corporation to continue providing Orion motors, and also celebrated the delivery of its 100th flight set of Orion rocket motors.
The contract includes providing Orion solid rocket motors to support programs for the U. S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Air Force through 2010. ATK’s Orion motors serve a versatile system of rockets used in commercial and government launch vehicles providing operational responsive access to space and aiding in national defense.
The Orion motors, ranging from 38 to 50 inches in diameter and four to 33 feet in length, are used to boost multiple stages of a variety of launch vehicles including; Orbital’s Pegasus(R) and Taurus(R); the Minotaur I space launch vehicle for Orbital and the U.S. Department of Defense; and the Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) for MDA’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program.
“This is a key milestone for ATK, not only delivering the 100th flight set of our Orion motors, but celebrating a 100 percent success rate and receiving a follow-on contract,” said Ron Dittemore, president of ATK Launch Systems. “The utilization of these motors for multiple missions and launch vehicles has truly made them an integral asset in ATK’s product line.”
Orion motors were first utilized on the Pegasus launch vehicle in 1990 with a 100 percent success rate over the past 17 years. The ATK Orion and Castor 120 motors are also used for all four stages of the Taurus and Taurus XL launch vehicles.
“Our Orion product line is a good example of how motors can be used in a variety of launch platforms to meet customer needs, resulting in lower costs and providing successful results,” said Dittemore. ATK is a $4.1 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 17,000 people in 21 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com.
