spacetoday.net: ATK joins Stratolaunch project

Posted: Tue, Aug 13, 2013, 9:29 AM ET (1329 GMT)
Stratolaunch Orbital-designed rocket (Stratolaunch Systems)

ATK announced Tuesday that it has won a contract from Orbital Sciences Corporation to provide rocket motors for an ambitious air-launch system. ATK will provide solid propulsion for the first and second stages of Orbital's Air Launch Vehicle being developed for Stratolaunch Systems. ATK said it will leverage its experience developing large solid motors for the Space Shuttle and Titan 4 for this project. That rocket will be carried aloft by a giant aircraft currently under development and launched from the air. Stratolaunch, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, partnered with Orbital earlier this year to develop the launch vehicle after ending its original partnership with SpaceX.