Scott Nicholas
Orbital ATK has tested an attitude control motor for the launch abort system of the Orion spacecraft built by Lockheed Martin to support NASA‘s manned space exploration goals.
The test demonstrated the capacity of ATM technology to guide an LAS in the event of mission abort and address human-rated requirements, Orbital ATK said Monday.
Orbital ATK built the Orion’s launch abort system motor as part of a $98 million subcontract Lockheed awarded in July 2015.
“With the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, NASA has taken up the challenge of not just opening up space exploration, but making it as safe as possible for our astronauts,” said Pat Nolan, vice president and general manager of the missile products division of Orbital ATK’s defense systems group.
NASA, Lockheed and Orbital ATK collaborated to develop a crew-escape system that will be used for the first integrated launch of Orion and the Space Launch System in 2018.
