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Orbital ATK

Northrop Grumman Corporation
2980 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, VA 22042
USA


Orbital ATK Inc. was an American company specialized in the design, manufacture and launch of small- and medium- class space and rocket systems for commercial, military and other government customers. It was headquartered in Dullus, USA.

On September 18th 2017 global aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital ATK Inc. for approximately 9.2 billion USD. The deal was finalized mid 2018. Northrop Grumman absorbed Orbital ATK Inc. and created a new, fourth business division; Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS). In January 2020, NGIS was split, with most of the sector merging with other Northrop Grumman businesses into a new Space Systems sector.

Orbital’s primary products were satellites and launch vehicles, including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles; and human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other missions. Orbital also provided satellite subsystems and space-related technical services to government agencies and laboratories.

On April 29th, 2014, Orbital Sciences announced that it would merge with Alliant Techsystems to create a new company called Orbital ATK, Inc. The merger was completed on February 9th, 2015 and Orbital Sciences ceased to exist as an independent entity.

Orbital Sciences was best known for launching the Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). ATK was best known for creating solid rocket boosters for the space shuttles. Since the February 2015 merger, Orbital ATK works on flight systems, defense- and satellite systems. The 1.9 billion USD deal with the space agency requires the company to fly eight unmanned cargo missions to the ISS using its Antares rocket and the Cygnus capsule.

Orbital Sciences had a setback when one of its spacecraft exploded just after the launch on Oct. 28th, 2014, likely due to suspect Russian engines in Orbital’s Antares rocket. The flights resumed on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket in December 2015. A March 2016 cargo delivery marked the final launch on a ULA rocket.

Orbital ATK was one of two private companies that hold  a contract with NASA to fly unmanned cargo missions to the International Space Station.


Company History

Orbital was founded and incorporated in 1982 by David W. Thompson, Bruce Ferguson and Scott Webster, three friends who had met earlier during their studies at the Harvard Business School. In 1985, Orbital procured its first contract for providing up to four Transfer Orbital Stage (TOS) vehicles to NASA. In 1987, the seeds for the ORBCOMM constellation were planted when Orbital began investigating a system using LEO satellites to collect data from remote locations. In 1988, Orbital acquired Space Data Corporation in Arizona, one of the world’s leading suppliers of suborbital rockets, thereby broadening its rocket business and manufacturing capabilities.

This acquisition was followed by the opening of a new facility in Chandler, Arizona in 1989 to house the company’s expanding rocket business.

In 1990, the company successfully carried out eight space missions, highlighted by the initial launch of the Pegasus rocket, the world’s first privately developed space launch vehicle. Shortly following the successful Pegasus launch, Orbital conducted an IPO in 1990 and began trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

In 1993, Orbital established its current headquarters in Dullus, Virginia followed by the acquisition of Fairchild Space and Defense Corporation in 1994. In the same year, Orbital successfully conducted the inaugural launch of the Taurus (currently renamed as Minotaur-C) rocket.

Orbital’s acquisitions continued throughout the 1990s including the acquisition of CTA, Inc. in 1997, a company having designed and built the first geostationary ‘lightsat’ under contract to Indonesia for Asia’s first Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) television broadcast program, providing an entry into the fast-growing GEO communications satellite market.

In the early 2000’s, Orbital continued expanding its missile defense systems business with a 900 million USD award to develop, build, test and support interceptor booster vehicles. In 2006 Orbital conducted its 500thmission since the company’s founding with a diverse portfolio of products that included satellites, launch vehicles, and missile defense systems.

In 2007, the first interplanetary spacecraft built by Orbital, Dawn was launched on an eight-year, three-billion-mile journey to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. A major milestone in the company’s history was in 2008 when it received a long-term NASA contract to provide cargo transportation services to and from the ISS with a value of approximately 1.9 billion USD for missions from 2011 to 2015.

Orbital is currently on-track to deliver on this contract with its Cygnus spacecraft and Antares rocket following the success of Cygnus Orb-D1 and Cygnus CRS Orb-1.

In 2010, Orbital announced its acquisition of the Gilbert, Arizona-based satellite development and manufacturing unit from General Dynamics to complement its main satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia.

On April 29th, 2014, Orbital Sciences announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Alliant Techsystems to combine Orbital and ATK’s Aerospace and Defense (A&D) Groups to create a 4.5 billion USD, with 13,000 employees. The new company was called Orbital ATK, Inc., and would serve U.S. and international customers with leading positions in the markets for space launch vehicles and propulsion systems, tactical missiles and defense electronics, satellites and space systems, armament systems and ammunition and commercial and military aircraft structures and related components.

On September 18th 2017 global aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital ATK for approximately 9.2 billion USD. The deal was finalized mid 2018. Northrop Grumman established Orbital ATK as a new, fourth business division and named Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS), generating sales in the range of 30 billion USD. Beginning of 2020 NGIS was split, with most of the sector merging with other Northrop Grumman businesses into a new Space Systems sector. The majority of the company’s business is with the U.S. government, principally the Department of Defense and intelligence community. Northrop Grumman has approximately 90,000 employees with more than 550 facilities in all 50 U.S. states and in more than 25 countries around the world.

In 2018 Orbital ATK revealed new details about their new OmegA rocket it is developing over the last three years in an effort to take U.S. Air Force launch contracts away from United Launch Alliance and SpaceX. OmegA was developed under a three-year, 250 million USD cost-sharing partnership with the Air Force.

In 2020 Northrop Grumman discontinued the development of the OmegA rocket after the U.S. Space Force picked United Launch Alliance and SpaceX as the military’s two top launch contractors over the next seven years.

All trademarks, logos and images mentioned and showed on this page are property of their respective owners.


Resources

www.northropgrumman.com
www.orbitalatk.com
www.cta.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.youtube.com
www.sky-brokers.com
www.viasatellite.com edition September 18th 2017
www.spacenews.com  edition June 5th 2018
www.spaceflightnow.com  editon June 7th 2018
www.spacenews.com  edition April 16th 2018
www.armynow.net  edition September 23rd, 2020

Supplier

Orbital ATK

Northrop Grumman Corporation
2980 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, VA 22042
USA


Satellites manufactured by Orbital ATK

SpacecraftOrbitCustomerCountryPurpose
Al Yah 3GEO20° WestSpace42 (aka Yahsat)UAECommunication
ASBM-1 (GX-10A, EPS-R 1)HEO65° NorthSpace Norway (former Telenor Satellite Services)NorwayCommunication
ASBM-2 (GX-10B, EPS-R 2)HEO65° NorthSpace Norway (former Telenor Satellite Services)NorwayCommunication
Azerspace-1/Africasat-1aGEO46° EastAzercosmosAzerbaijanCommunication
BSat-2aGEO110° EastB-SATJapanBroadcasting
BSat-2cGEO110° EastB-SATJapanCommunication
Galaxy-12 (Galaxy XII, G-12)GEO129° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
Galaxy-14 (G-14, Galaxy-5R)GEO125° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
Galaxy-15 (G-15)GEO133° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
Galaxy-30 (G-30)GEO125° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
Galaxy-33 (G-33)GEO133° West IntelsatUSACommunication
Galaxy-34 (G-34)GEO129° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
GSSAP-1 (USA-253, Hornet-1)GEOunknownUnited States Space Force (USSF)USASIGINT
GSSAP-2 (USA-254, Hornet-2)GEOunknownUnited States Space Force (USSF)USASIGINT
Hispasat 74W-1 (Amazonas-4a)GEO74° WestHispasatSpainCommunication
Horizons-2GEO85° EastIntelsatUSACommunication
HYLAS 2GEO31° EastAvantiUKCommunication
HYLAS 4 (HYLAS Africa)GEO34° WestAvantiUKCommunication
Intelsat-11 (IS-11, PAS-11)GEO43° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
Intelsat-15 (IS-15, JCSAT-85)GEO85° EastIntelsatUSACommunication
Intelsat-16 (IS-16, PAS-11R)GEO43° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
Intelsat-18 (IS-18)GEO180° EastIntelsatUSACommunication
Intelsat-23 (IS-23)GEO53° WestIntelsatUSACommunication
Intelsat-28 (IS-28, Intelsat New Dawn)GEO23° EastIntelsatUSACommunication
KoreaSat-6 (Olleh 1)GEO116° EastKT SatSouth KoreaCommunication
MEASAT-3aGEO91.5° EastMEASATMalaysiaCommunication
N-Star c at 136° EastGEO136° EastSKY Perfect JSATJapanCommunication
NSS-9GEO177° EastSESLuxembourgCommunication
Optus D1GEO160° EastOptus AustraliaAustraliaCommunication
Optus D2GEO152° EastOptus AustraliaAustraliaCommunication
Optus D3GEO156° EastOptus AustraliaAustraliaCommunication
Optus-X (TD7)GEO87.75° EastOptus AustraliaAustraliaMilitary & Intelligence
SES-1 (AMC-4R)GEO101° WestSESLuxembourgCommunication
SES-16/GovSat-1GEO21.5° EastGovSatLuxembourgCommunication
SES-18GEO103° WestSESLuxembourgCommunication
SES-19GEO135° WestSESLuxembourgCommunication
SES-2 (AMC-5R)GEO87° WestSESLuxembourgCommunication
SES-3 (AMC-1R)GEO103° WestSESLuxembourgCommunication
SES-8GEO95° EastSESLuxembourgCommunication
Sky Mexico-1 (SKYM-1, RB-2, DIRECTV KU-79W)GEO79° WestAT&TUSA
Star One C3GEO75° WestStar OneBrazilCommunication
Telkom-2GEO118° EastTelkomsatIndonesiaCommunication
Thaicom-6/Africom-1GEO78.5° EastThaicomThailandCommunication
Thaicom-8GEO78.5° EastThaicomThailandCommunication
THOR 5 (THOR-2R)GEO1° WestSpace Norway (former Telenor Satellite Services)NorwayCommunication
USA-197 (DSP-23)GEO-United States Space Force (USSF)USAMilitary & Intelligence

Supplier

Orbital ATK

Northrop Grumman Corporation
2980 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, VA 22042
USA


Rideshare missions by Orbital ATK

Rideshare MissionLaunch dateLaunch vehicleSpacecraft launchedOrbit
NROL-17416 April 2025Minotaur IV2LEO
Cygnus NG-1719 February 2022Antares 2304LEO
NROL-11115 June 2021Minotaur I3LEO
Cygnus NG-1520 February 2021Antares 23026LEO
Cygnus NG-143 October 2020Antares 2306LEO
NROL-12915 July 2020Minotaur IV4LEO
Cygnus NG-1315 February 2020Antares 2306LEO
Cygnus NG-122 November 2019Antares 23015LEO
Cygnus NG-1119 April 2019Antares 23030LEO
Cygnus NG-10 (OA-10E)17 November 2018Antares 2305SSO
Cygnus NG-09 (OA-09E)21 May 2018Antares 23018LEO
Cygnus NG-08 (OA-08E)12 November 2017Antares 23018LEO
Orbital ATK Minotaur-C Skysat31 October 2017Minotaur C10SSO
ORS-526 August 2017Minotaur IV4GEO
Cygnus NG-05 (OA-5)17 October 2016Antares 2306LEO
Cygnus NG-03 (Orb-3)28 October 2014Antares 13030SSO
Cygnus CRS-2 (Orb-2)13 July 2014Antares 12034SSO
Cygnus CRS-1 (Orb-1)9 January 2014Antares 12035SSO
ORS-320 November 2013Minotaur I31LEO
Antares A-ONE21 April 2013Antares 1105LEO
GLORY4 March 2011Minotaur C4LEO
STP-S2620 November 2010Minotaur IV10LEO
TacSat-319 May 2009Minotaur I5LEO
COSMIC14 April 2006Minotaur I6LEO
Orbview-421 September 2001Minotaur C4LEO
AFRL / MightySat 2.119 July 2000Minotaur I3LEO
JAWSAT27 January 2000Minotaur I11LEO

Supplier

Orbital ATK

Northrop Grumman Corporation
2980 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, VA 22042
USA


Dedicated missions by Orbital ATK

Dedicated MissionLaunch dateLaunch vehicleOrbit
LADEE7 September 2013Minotaur VHEO
TacSat-427 September 2011Minotaur IVHEO
ORS-130 June 2011Minotaur ILEO
SBSS-126 September 2010Minotaur IVSSO
NFIRE24 April 2007Minotaur ILEO
TacSat-216 December 2006Minotaur ILEO
Streak (STP-R1)22 September 2005Minotaur ILEO
XSS-1111 April 2005Minotaur ILEO
ROCSAT-220 May 2004Minotaur CLEO
SCISAT-113 August 2003Lockheed Martin LM-1011 w/Pegasus XLLEO
Orbview-326 June 2003Lockheed Martin LM-1011 w/Pegasus XLLEO