High-strength, lightweight
composite structures produced by ATK flew on
a Boeing Delta IV rocket launched yesterday from Space Launch
Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on a mission to deploy
the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) spacecraft, DSCS III A3.

ATK Composites, Clearfield, Utah, supplied four key structures for the
Delta IV Medium launch vehicle’s common booster core: the thermal shield for
the RS-68 main engine, centerbody and skirt structures that house core vehicle
components, and the interstage between the core vehicle and the second-stage
engine.

The structures, which range from 2.5 to 5 meters (8 to 16 feet) in
diameter and up to 6.7 meters (22 feet) in length, are produced using advanced
hand layup techniques at the company’s Southern Composites Center in Iuka,
Miss.

The Delta IV Medium launch vehicle is one of five vehicle configurations
in the Boeing Delta IV family. The first launch of the Delta IV occurred on
Nov. 20, 2002, and successfully deployed a commercial satellite. All of the
Delta IV vehicles are powered by a Boeing Rocketdyne RS-68 engine, and three
of the configurations in the Medium + series use either two or four solid
rocket strap-on GEM-60 graphite epoxy motors produced by ATK Thiokol
Propulsion, Promontory, Utah. The company also supplies a rocket nozzle for
the RS-68 engine.

The Boeing Delta IV family of rockets is part of the U.S. Air Force’s
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, which is aimed at reducing
launch costs and providing assured access to space.

ATK Composites — known for unique capabilities in large structures
manufacturing — has revolutionized the composites industry through 40 years
of innovation and manufacturing excellence. The company produces structures
for space launch vehicles, satellites, spacecraft, and commercial and military
aircraft.

ATK is a $2.1 billion aerospace and defense company with leading positions
in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, and precision capabilities.
The company, which is headquartered in Edina, Minn., employs approximately
12,000 people and has three business groups: Aerospace, Precision Systems,
and Ammunition. ATK news and information can be found at www.atk.com .