OREANDA-NEWS. August 22, 2016.
Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, announced today that two satellites the company designed,
built and tested for the
U.S. Air Force were successfully deployed
following their launch aboard a
United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV
rocket from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida, on
August 19,
2016. The satellites were the third and fourth for the Geosynchronous
Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) and comprise Air Force Space
Command Mission Number Six, or AFSPC-6. In addition to the company-built
satellites that were deployed,
Orbital ATK also provided propulsion, key
composite structures and other components on the Delta IV launch vehicle.
The Orbital ATK-built satellites will operate in near-geosynchronous
orbit and collect Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data for more
accurate tracking and characterization of man-made objects in Earth
orbit. The goal of the program is to enhance the country’s knowledge of
the geosynchronous orbit environment for more timely and accurate orbit
predictions to improve space flight safety.
“This launch marks the deployment of the second set of satellites we
have designed and built for the U.S. Air Force GSSAP program. Enhancing
space situational awareness is a top priority for the Air Force Space
Command, and once again we provided innovative, reliable and affordable
products to support this vital mission,” said
Christopher Long, Orbital
ATK’s Vice President of National Security Systems. “Our industry leading
satellite systems based on flight proven GEOStar, LEOStar, Cygnus and
ESPAStar platforms are helping to reshape the boundaries of National
Security Space and Civil Space.”
The first two GSSAP satellites built by Orbital ATK were launched July
28, 2014 on AFSPC-4, which included the Air Force Research Laboratory’s
Automated Navigation and Guidance Experiment for Local Space (ANGELS)
satellite, deployed from the AFSPC-4, EELV Secondary Payload Adapter
(ESPA). Orbital ATK was the project’s prime contractor responsible for
overall system design and development.
Orbital ATK designed, manufactured, integrated and tested the GSSAP
satellites at its state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Dulles,
Virginia. The company’s facilities in Dulles, along with Goleta and San
Diego, California, and Beltsville, Maryland provided numerous
subsystems, including the satellite’s solar arrays, heat pipes, avionic
boxes, flight computer, shunt regulator assembly, composite components
and deployable structures.
Orbital ATK also made major contributions to the Delta IV launch
vehicle, including the two 60-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motors
(GEM-60) produced at its Magna, Utah, facility, where it has
manufactured 82 GEM-60s for the Delta IV launch vehicle since the
initial flight in 2002. In addition, Orbital ATK supplied 11 key
composite structures for the Delta IV rocket and GEM-60 motors that were
manufactured at its facilities in Iuka, Mississippi and Clearfield, Utah.
Additionally, Orbital ATK manufactured the propellant tank for the Delta
IV upper stage roll control system at the company’s Commerce,
California, facility, and designed and manufactured the nozzle for Delta
IV’s RS-68A engine at its Promontory, Utah, facility. Orbital ATK also
designed and produced the nozzle’s thermal protection material, which is
capable of shielding the nozzle from the extreme heat of launch, when
external temperatures can exceed 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies.
The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation
systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and
merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related
propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense
electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition;
satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced
aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK
employs approximately 12,000 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in
several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
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