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ATK Thiokol Propulsion Company Successfully Conducts Full-Scale Space Shuttle Motor Test

Nov 2, 2001

ATK (Alliant Techsystems) (NYSE: ATK) said ATK Thiokol Propulsion Company, Brigham City, Utah, successfully conducted a static test firing of a full-scale Space Shuttle reusable solid rocket motor (RSRM) yesterday. The test took place at the company's Promontory, Utah, facility, located approximately 90 miles north of Salt Lake City.

The engineering test motor (ETM) program is part of the Shuttle's on-going safety program to verify materials and manufacturing processes. The ETM-2 static test provided an opportunity to evaluate unique certification, development, validation, and verification objectives to characterize the performance of new processes, materials, components and design changes. It also provided an increased opportunity to advance design and process understanding through flaw and "push-the-envelope" testing. The test simulates many of the conditions that would be experienced in flight.

The test ran two minutes, the same duration as the motors fire when launching the Space Shuttle. The last test was conducted in May 2001. The next one is planned for August 2002.

The static test had 72 objectives and employed 446 instrumentation channels to collect data for evaluation. Many of the static test objectives on ETM-2 will eventually be employed in the Space Shuttle RSRM flight program.

The Space Shuttle RSRM is the largest solid rocket motor ever flown and the first designed for reuse. The reusability of the RSRM case is one of the most important cost-saving factors in the nation's space program. From ignition to end of burn, each RSRM generates an average thrust of 2.6 million pounds and burns for approximately 123.6 seconds. Each motor is just over 126 feet long and 12 feet in diameter. The entire booster -- including nose cap, frustum, and forward and aft skirts -- is approximately 149 feet long.

Of the motor's total weight of 1.25 million pounds, propellant accounts for 1.1 million pounds. Each launch requires the boost of two RSRMs. By the time the twin RSRMs have completed their task, the Space Shuttle orbiter has reached an altitude of 24 nautical miles and is traveling at a speed in excess of 3,000 miles per hour.

With safety, quality, and reliability as their primary objectives, ATK Thiokol Propulsion Company engineers direct approximately 110,000 quality control inspections on each RSRM flight set.

ATK is a $1.6 billion aerospace and defense company with leading positions in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, and precision capabilities. The company, which is headquartered in Edina, Minn., employs approximately 9,600 people and has two business groups: Aerospace and Defense. ATK news and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com/

SOURCE: Alliant Techsystems

Contact: Media, Melodie DeGuibert, +1-435-863-3169,
melodie.deguibert@thiokol.com , or Investors, Steve Wold, +1-952-351-3056,
steve_wold@atk.com, both for ATK