ATK Orion Motors Power Orbital Sciences Interceptor Boost Vehicle

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Minneapolis - Feb 11, 2004
Alliant Techsystems (ATK) supplied three solid rocket motors used in the successful flight test of an Orbital Sciences Corporation Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptor boost vehicle.

The Integrated Flight Test-13b (IFT-13b) was conducted on January 26, and originated from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The launch was the third consecutive success of the ATK-powered boost vehicle.

The IFT-13b launch was part of an ongoing planned series of flight tests for the GMD program. Preliminary data indicate that the booster system met all test objectives.

ATK Thiokol Propulsion, Promontory, Utah, is the solid propulsion supplier on the Orbital team developing the boost vehicle for The Boeing Company, the prime contractor for the GMD program.

The three-stage boost vehicle uses modified Orion motors manufactured by ATK Thiokol Propulsion at its rocket motor facility in Magna, Utah. Orion motors are also flown on Orbital's Taurus, Pegasus, Minotaur and Hyper-X launch vehicles.

The graphite epoxy cases used for Orion motors are manufactured by ATK Composites, Clearfield, Utah.

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