Alliant Techsystems (ATK) Aerospace Systems received a $48 million subcontract from Orbital Sciences Corp. to provide first- and second-stage solid-rocket motors for a new fleet of intermediate-range target missiles being built for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), ATK announced July 26.
Magna, Utah-based ATK will deliver 16 Orion solid-rocket motors by early 2013, and could be tapped to deliver up to 14 additional motors for a total of $90 million, the press release said. The Orion motors have previously been used to propel space launch vehicles including Orbital’s Minotaur rockets and have never before been incorporated into target missiles, ATK said.
Dulles, Va.-based Orbital in March was awarded a contract from the MDA to deliver as many as 22 intermediate-range target missiles through 2017.
