Orbital ATK has test-fired a prototype solid rocket motor that includes metal components built through an additive manufacturing process. The company said Wednesday it developed the prototype motor in collaboration with the U.S. Army‘s Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center in an effort to help meet the military branch’s missile science and technology enterprise […] More

Planet Labs’ 10 remote sensing satellites took off Tuesday aboard the Orbital ATK-built Minotaur C rocket that launched at 2:37 p.m. Pacific time from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Four Planet’s Dove satellites launched into sun-synchronous orbit approximately 350 miles above the Earth following the deployment of six SkySat spacecraft into space, Orbital ATK said Tuesday. Rich Straka, […] More

Orbital ATK is scheduled to launch Planet‘s Earth imaging satellites at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Tuesday at 2:37 p.m. Pacific time. Orbital ATK said Monday its Minotaur C rocket will carry a total of 10 SkySat and Dove remote sensing satellites, which will work to collect medium- and high-resolution multispectral Earth imagery for commercial […] More

Orbital ATK has won a potential $34 million contract to provide a secondary payload adapter for the U.S. Air Force‘s long-duration propulsive Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. The Defense Department said Monday the contract will also extend the Air Force Space Command’s standard rideshare service policy and build on previous development efforts for EELV secondary payload adapter technology. Orbital ATK will perform work […] More

Orbital ATK has delivered the 100,000th unit of its tactical motor for the AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles that the U.S. military and 16 allied countries currently use. The company said Wednesday it conducted a ceremony early October in recognition of the delivery numbers and the more than 250 employees and partners who have worked under the Hellfire program. Mike […] More

Lockheed Martin has awarded Orbital ATK a three-year, $24 million initial contract to manufacture composite components for the F-35 aircraft. Orbital ATK said Tuesday it will produce bullnose and blade seals in addition to upper and lower wing skins, engine nacelles and access covers the company is manufacturing under the Joint Strike Fighter program. Production of the composite […] More

Orbital ATK has begun to create a line of medium-caliber ammunition for MK44 XM813 and XM914 Bushmaster Chain Guns, Jane’s 360 reported Friday. The new ammunition variants are designed to feature command-guided, proximity fuze and air burst functions as well as deliver support for various land and air combat platforms, the report noted. Orbital ATK is producing new munition types […] More

Orbital ATK provided composite structures and motors for three rockets that  United Launch Alliance used to send one NASA spacecraft and two National Reconnaissance Office payloads into orbit. ULA launched the Boeing-built Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-M as well as the NROL-42 and NROL-52 national security satellites using Atlas V rockets within an eight-week period, Orbital ATK said Tuesday. Orbital ATK manufactured […] More

Orbital ATK has received an $18 million U.S. Navy contract option to convert AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles from a high-speed configuration into a guided all-up-round model for the Italian government. The exercised option is for the conversion of lot 6 AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles to 25 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile All-Up-Rounds, the Defense Department said […] More

Orbital ATK has received a five-year, $20 million contract to help U.S. Air Force researchers advance solid rocket booster technology and address technical requirements for spacecraft, tactical and strategic propulsion systems. The Defense Department said Monday the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract will provide a means for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s aerospace systems and rocket propulsion division to procure […] More

Orbital ATK and other rocket-motor manufacturers plan to increase investments in advanced rocket engines as the Defense Department intends to make a $2 billion investment in hypersonic missiles, lasers and other high-speed weapons over the next five years, Space News reported Tuesday. Pat Nolan, a vice president at Orbital ATK, told Space News at the […] More

Orbital ATK aims to launch on Nov. 10 its Cygnus spacecraft aboard the Antares rocket to deliver crew supplies and scientific equipment to the International Space Station. NASA said Saturday the spacecraft will lift off from a launch pad at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to mark Orbital ATK’s eighth cargo delivery mission to […] More