ATK Passes Critical Design Review for NASA's Space Launch System Booster

NASA and ATK are on Schedule for 2017 Launch to Deep Space

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Aug 07, 2014, 07:00 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ATK (NYSE: ATK) has successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) with NASA to verify that the five-segment solid rocket booster is on track for an unmanned, first flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) in 2017. The SLS vehicle is planned to launch humans deeper into space than ever before.

ATK’s five-segment solid rocket booster will power America’s new rocket – NASA’s Space Launch System, which is on track to launch in 2017. (PRNewsFoto/ATK)

"Achieving this milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for ATK and NASA as we continue building the boosters for America's Space Launch System," said Charlie Precourt, vice president and general manager of ATK's Space Launch division. "Deep space exploration requires a heavy lift vehicle, and SLS is the only vehicle with the mass, volume and speed required for human missions to destinations such as the moon, an asteroid or Mars."

With the successful completion of CDR, the SLS booster design can now proceed toward qualification testing. Booster avionics qualification efforts are also in work and will be incorporated into the vehicle qualification effort that is scheduled for completion in 2016.

"ATK's technology innovation, process improvements and lean manufacturing will enable SLS to deliver humans and cargo to deep space faster, safer and more affordably than any other existing or planned vehicle," said Precourt, who is also a four-time space shuttle astronaut. "It is exciting to see that the teams working on SLS and the Orion crew capsule are all making steady progress toward NASA achieving a human mission to Mars by the 2030s."

A ground static firing of the full-scale booster, Qualification Motor-1 (QM-1), is planned for late this year/early next year at ATK's facility in Promontory, Utah. The next major booster milestone will be the Design Certification Review scheduled for fall of 2016.

Other upcoming SLS and Orion program milestones include a firing of the modified RS-25 engine this fall and the opening of the SLS Vertical Assembly Center, which is where the rocket's core stage fuel tanks will be welded. Orion's first flight, scheduled for December 2014, will be the farthest a human-rated spacecraft has traveled into space in more than 40 years.

The SLS and Orion programs are supported by a network of hundreds of suppliers representing 47 states. ATK has 29 key SLS booster suppliers across 16 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

Recent SLS milestones include:

Forward skirt test (May 20, 2014)
Booster avionics test (April 3, 2014)
Avionics and controls test (Dec. 11, 2013)

ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with operations in 21 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atk, or on Twitter @ATK.

Certain information discussed in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although ATK believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among those factors are: changes in governmental spending, budgetary policies and product sourcing strategies; the company's competitive environment; the terms and timing of awards and contracts; and economic conditions. ATK undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For further information on factors that could impact ATK, and statements contained herein, please refer to ATK's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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