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ATK's Responsive Space Modular Bus Allows TacSat-3 to Demonstrate Potential Operationally Responsive Space Capability

May 20, 2009

ATK Propulsion and Composites Play key Role in TacSat-3 Launch

MINNEAPOLIS, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems' (NYSE: ATK) Responsive Space Modular Bus (RSMB) was successfully launched as part of the Department of Defense's Tactical Satellite-3's mission from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. TacSat-3's 12-month mission is to demonstrate capability to conduct hyperspectral imaging that is responsive to the needs of U.S. warfighters.

The ATK designed and built spacecraft bus meets the TacSat program's goals of being operationally responsive, low-cost and high performance. ATK hardware includes the onboard command and data handling system, solar arrays, primary structure and interfaces to the launch vehicle and payload. ATK's innovative hexapetal bus design enables rapid integration and modular packaging of both bus and payload components - an enabling capability for future Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) missions that must meet a seven-day call-up requirement.

"ATK's Responsive Space Modular Bus was utilized for TacSat-3 in order to provide a highly-capable spacecraft that was versatile enough to support this specific mission, while flexible enough to support a broad range of future ORS missions," said Blake Larson, president, ATK Space Systems. "ATK completed the critical design review within four months of program start, integrated the bus structure within 11 months, and delivered the bus to the customer in just over 15 months."

Other innovative features of the ATK spacecraft design include the adoption of Integrated Systems Engineering Team standard interfaces, that were developed in parallel by a joint government-industry team of engineers; an agile three-axis stabilization system to enable payload sensors to collect precision data on-orbit and downlink processed information in the same orbit pass; a robust power capability with modular power options that can be tailored for specific mission requirements; and a high-strength structure with adaptable interfaces to support a variety of sensor payloads.

ATK also supplied the Orion 50XL and Orion 38 solid rocket motors for Orbital Sciences Corporation, which performed flawlessly as the Minotaur's third and fourth stages, respectively. The motors are manufactured at ATK's Magna, Utah, facility. ATK also provided the Minotaur's carbon fiber composite payload fairing assemblies to protect the TacSat-3 during launch. The fairings separated approximately 140 seconds into the flight.

"ATK played an integral role in this launch, from the solid rocket motors of the launch to the launch vehicle fairing and finally the spacecraft bus," said Larson.

The TacSat-3 spacecraft is a pioneer of the emerging ORS program. It was designed to meet the growing need of U.S. forces for flexible, affordable and responsive satellite systems. The TacSat-3 program is a joint effort of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Development and Test Wing, the Department of Defense's ORS office, and the Office of Naval Research.

ATK is a premier aerospace and defense company with more than 19,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and revenues in excess of $4.5 billion. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.

    Media Contact:                             Investor Contact:

    Mark Anderes                               Jeff Huebschen
    Phone:  240-988-0255                       Phone:  952-351-2929
    E-mail:  mark.anderes@atk.com              E-mail:  jeff.huebschen@atk.com