Ross Wilkers
ATK‘s composite, propulsion and spacecraft technologies were used to help launch the Orbital Sciences-built Minotaur I vehicle into space on Tuesday for a U.S. Air Force program.
This launch was the 80th Air Force mission to use Orion motors and the first to use ATK’s Autonomous Flight Safety System, which is designed to reduce ground-based flight safety infrastructure and provide quicker turnaround for follow-on launches, ATK said Tuesday.
The Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space-3 mission is one of three flights planned to certify the system.
“The ORS-3 flight marks an important milestone towards the development and implementation of AFSS as the range safety system of the future,” said Cary Ralston, vice president and general manager of ATK’s missile products division.
Ralston added the company will work with the government to deliver this technology to the space industry.
ATK also developed the Orion 50XL and Orion 38 motors, the motors’ composite cases and raceways and three Planar Unfolding Modular Array solar array wings.
