Orbital ATK [OA] hopes to beat competitors to the launch pad by having its next-generation Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV)-class rocket fly its first Defense Department mission in 2019, according to a company spokesman.
Orbital ATK spokesman Barry Beneski said Wednesday the new EELV class rocket will have solid motors for the first two stages and a liquid upper stage engine. Orbital ATK is developing its EELV-class rocket under a $47 million other transaction agreement (OTA) contract awarded by the Air Force in January.
The money is for the development of the Common Booster Segment main stage, the Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL strap-on booster and an extendable nozzle for Blue Origin’s BE-3U/EN upper stage engine. Beneski said the company wants the BE-3 for its upper stage.
Orbital ATK is contributing $31 million and the company’s total potential investment, including all options, is $125 million. The Air Force is contributing $47 million in fiscal year 2015 research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) funding. The total potential government investment, including all options, is $180 million.
Beneski said Orbital ATK is in the second stage of a four-stage process for developing the rocket. He expects the company to meet with the Air Force about this time next year to decide on whether to move forward with the program. Beneski said Orbital ATK has not started certification as it doesn’t have a rocket to certify. Certification is a key milestone to make the rocket eligible to compete for, and receive, Air Force launch contracts and missions.
Orbital ATK is not the only company developing next-generation rocket propulsion technology under public-private partnerships with the Air Force. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), Boeing [BA], Northrop Grumman [NOC] Tanner Research, Moog [MOOG], Aerojet Rocketdyne [AJRD] and the Johns Hopkins University are all working under Air Force contracts to help develop technology for a new indigenous engine to end military reliance on the Russian-developed RD-180 engine for launches (Defense Daily, January 16).
Orbital ATK has also moved its long-awaited re-engined Antares hot fire test from Friday to Tuesday at the earliest. Beneski said the company rolled the first stage with its integrated RD-181 engines to the test stand at Wallops Island, Va., about 10 days ago. Orbital ATK, Beneski said, will fire the engines for about 30 seconds, the same as it will experience in a normal flight. Then the company will perform a “deep dive” into the data over the next couple of weeks.