ATK [ATK] has received a contract from Orbital Sciences [ORB] to provide first- and second-stage propulsion for the Air Launch Vehicle (ALV) that Orbital is designing and building for Stratolaunch Systems Corp., according to an ATK statement.
Stratolaunch Systems is assembling a revolutionary air-launched space transportation system. The contract from Orbital includes the design, development and flight hardware for the initial Stratolaunch missions. This new work expands ATK’s partnership with Orbital, dating back to the development of Orbital’s original air-launched vehicle Pegasus, which also uses ATK solid rocket motors for stage propulsion.
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| Concept of Stratolaunch System’s Air Launch Vehicle. Photo: Stratolaunch Systems. |
Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager of ATK’s defense and commercial division, said in a statement the company’s design solution for ALV will take full advantage of ATK’s experience with large diameter solid rocket motors, like those built for the Space Shuttle and for the Titan IVB launch vehicle. The stages for ALV will also use high-strength, low-weight graphite composite cases, advanced propellants and heritage materials from ATK’s line of commercial rocket motors, Lehr said.
Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Paul Allen, is developing an air-launch system that will revolutionize space transportation by providing orbital access to space at lower costs with greater safety and more flexibility. The system will allow for maximum operational flexibility and payload delivery from several possible operational sites, while minimizing mission constraints such as range availability and weather.
The system is made up of three primary elements: a carrier aircraft that is being designed by Scaled Composites, a multi-stage rocket system being developed by Orbital and a payload to be delivered into orbit. Initial efforts will focus on unmanned payloads with human flights following as safety, reliability and operability are demonstrated.