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Thursday September 27, 10:07 am ET
ATK Solid Motors Used To Launch Heavy Payload On Delta II Vehicle
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK - News) propulsion and composite technologies supported the successful launch of the United Launch Alliance’s Delta II rocket carrying NASA’s Dawn spacecraft that will use an ion propulsion system to visit and orbit the asteroids Vesta and Ceres.
Nine GEM-46 solid propulsion strap-on boosters manufactured in ATK’s Salt Lake City, Utah facility provided augmented thrust for the launch while the STAR 48B rocket motor, manufactured in Elkton, Maryland, acted as the third-stage rocket motors. ATK’s Clearfield, Utah facility produced the composite cases for the GEM-46 boosters using an automated filament winding process developed and refined through its 40-year-heritage in composite manufacturing.
Six of the boosters ignited at lift-off with the first-stage main engine and provided over 824,000 pound maximum thrust for the launch vehicle. Just over one minute later, the remaining three boosters ignited to provide an additional 427,000 pound maximum thrust. The spent motors were jettisoned from the rocket as it continued its ascent.
Following burnout and separation of the GEM-46 boosters and the rocket’s liquid second stage, an ATK-produced STAR(TM) 48B third-stage rocket motor fired approximately 55 minutes into flight to provide the final velocity increment needed by the spacecraft to begin its journey.
ATK is a $4 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 16,500 people in 21 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070927/aqth093.html?.v=20