• Forum
• SITREP
• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security

• Space

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Public Eye

ATK Supports Successful Return to Flight of Space Shuttle Discovery

ATK Solid Rocket Boosters Lift Shuttle into Orbit with More Than 6 Million Pounds of Thrust *STS-114 Mission to Test Repair Technology Developed Jointly by NASA and ATK

Jul 26, 2005

Minneapolis, July 26, 2005 – Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) reusable solid rocket motors (RSRM) provided more than 6 million pounds of thrust in the first two minutes of flight to help send the Space Shuttle Discovery on its historic return to flight mission.

NASA launched Discovery on schedule this morning to begin its journey to the International Space Station.

During the 12-day mission, NASA astronauts will test a repair kit jointly developed by NASA, ATK, and other industry partners to patch the leading edge of the Space Shuttle wing. The repair kit will be tested with the goal of certifying it for actual repairs in future missions in the unlikely event that any damage is discovered upon inspection. The kit is designed to patch holes up to 4 inches in diameter.

In addition, astronauts will perform an extra vehicular activity (EVA) to demonstrate the feasibility of repairing cracks to the wing using another material developed by ATK – non-oxide adhesive experimental (NOAX).

The return-to-flight mission is the first of many scheduled over the next five years. ATK RSRMs have flown on each mission since the inception of the Space Shuttle program, and today are the only human-rated solid rocket motors produced in the U.S.

ATK is a $3.0 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 14,000 people in 23 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.