ATK ESS operating on RADARSAT-2

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. company Alliant Techsystems has reported the successful operation of its ESS system on RADARSAT-2.

ATK said in a statement Dec. 21 that its extendible support structure "operated as designed on the RADARSAT-2 mission that was launched Saturday, Dec. 14 on a Soyuz vehicle from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan."

"Once on orbit ATK's ESS built in its Goleta, Cal. facility deployed flawlessly. The ESS's precision deployment and in-orbit stiffness and stability enable functionality of the mission's synthetic aperture radar -- SAR -- panels," the company said.

"The seamless deployment of the ESS is another example of ATK's capability to provide and execute mission critical subsystems and components for important missions," stated Mike Cerneck, vice president and general manager of ATK Space.

"RADARSAT-2 is collaborative mission between the Canadian Space Agency and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. MDA is the prime contractor for RADARSAT-2, and is responsible for all aspects of the program, from initial design and development, through launch, operations planning and distribution of data. The satellite will provide enhanced information for applications such as environmental monitoring, ice mapping, resource mapping, disaster management, and marine surveillance," ATK said.

ATK describes itself as "an advanced weapon and space systems company with annual revenues in excess of $4.1 billion that employs more than 17,000 people in 21 states."