Blake Larson: Atlas V Launch Showcases ATK Tech

ATK sought to highlight its engineering services portfolio after the recent launch of an Atlas V rocket that vaulted the Boeing-made GPS IIF-7 satellite to orbit.

“The Atlas V and GPS programs encompass the scope and scale of ATK’s highly engineered products and affordable innovation,” Blake Larson, president of ATK’s aerospace group, said Aug. 1.

“Both military and civilian GPS users around the world will benefit from increased capability as a result of our team’s collective dedication and execution excellence,” he added.

ATK company manufactured the many of the components found on both the launch vehicle and satellite.

Those components include the heat shield assembly from the Iuka facility, the retro motors from Elkton, the solar arrays that power the satellite from Goleta and San Diego, heat pipes from Beltsville and titanium ullage tank assembly from Commerce.