SALT LAKE CITY, July 27 (UPI) -- Solid rocket motors for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile target rocket program are to be supplied by ATK Corp.
The subcontractor award for the motors was given by Orbital Sciences Corp., prime contractor for the IRBM program. ATK said that with follow-on options, it believes the contract has a potential value of $90 million.
ATK's contract includes an initial award of $48 million for the first eight Orion 50S XLT and 50 XLT vehicles to be delivered by first quarter 2013, with contract options for delivery of 14 additional vehicles over the following two years.
ATK's Orion solid rocket motors will provide first- and second-stage propulsion for the target rocket.
"This is an entirely new application for our versatile Orion solid rocket motor family," said Scott Lehr, ATK Aerospace Systems vice president and general manager of Strategic and Commercial Systems. "ATK Orion motors are currently used by MDA and Orbital for missile defense and in a variety of Orbital commercial launch vehicles."
The Orion motor product line was initiated in 1988 in a joint venture with Orbital for the development of the winged Pegasus space launch vehicle. Since then, the motors have been modified for use on a variety of platforms.
ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with operations in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally.
