NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATION SYSTEMS

Go behind the scenes of the launch prep for Orbital ATK's Antares and Cygnus OA-9 mission to the International Space Station. Cygnus is scheduled to launch aboard an Antares rocket for the seventh time from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Orbital ATK’s vision for the next step toward human space missions to Mars employs our flight-proven Cygnus advanced maneuvering spacecraft as a human habitat in cislunar space, the region between the Moon and Earth. In the early 2020s we would launch the initial habitat on NASA’s SLS rocket. Featuring a modular design, the habitat would serve both as a destination for crewed missions and as an unmanned testbed to prove-out the technologies needed for long-duration human space missions. The habitat is also envisioned as a base for lunar missions by international partners or commercial ventures. With additional habitation and propulsion modules, the habitat could be outfitted for a Mars pathfinder mission.

For each CRS mission, it is a tradition at Orbital ATK to name the Cygnus cargo spacecraft for an individual who has furthered our nation’s human spaceflight programs. For the OA-9 mission, Orbital ATK is proud to announce that the OA-9 spacecraft will be named after J.R. Thompson, a distinguished leader in the aerospace industry and a member of our Orbital ATK family. Throughout his life, J.R. held prominent positions at NASA, the Marshall Space Flight Center, and Orbital Sciences. We are honored to celebrate his life with the upcoming launch of the S.S. J.R. Thompson. Learn more on the OA-9 mission page: bit.ly/2FbdUrz

Orbital ATK has announced the name of the company's new large-class rocket: OmegA. This all-American rocket, designed for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, will have a capacity of up to 10,100 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and up to 7,800 kg to Geostationary Equatorial Orbit (GEO). Aerojet Rockeydyne’s RL10C engine will be the vehicle’s upper stage propulsion system. Learn more: bit.ly/OmegaRocket

During this year’s SATELLITE 2018 Conference and Exhibition, Orbital ATK, a leader in the emerging space logistics market, debuted the next generation of in-orbit satellite serving technology with the introduction of Mission Extension Pods (MEPs)™ and the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV)™. These two products join Orbital ATK's Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV)™, creating a suite of in-orbit satellite servicing products focused on extending the life of existing satellites. Learn more: bit.ly/2HsY6SR

Since 1982, Orbital ATK has been paving the way with innovations in the commercial space industry. From Pegasus, the world’s first commercially-developed rocket, to new spacecraft buses for communications, scientific and national security missions, the company is a pioneer of modern space technology. Today, Orbital ATK and its SpaceLogistics subsidiary introduces Mission Extension Pods (MEPs), the newest addition to the company’s family of robotic satellite servicing platforms. MEP joins the company’s Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV), the industry’s first in-orbit satellite servicing platform, and together they promise to revolutionize the satellite industry by extending the lives of in-orbit spacecraft. Learn more here: bit.ly/2HsY6SR

Get an inside look at Orbital ATK’s Next Generation Launch System with engineer Katie Qian. We are currently developing the NGL family of rockets for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Learn more about NGL here: bit.ly/2f8mkWo.

2017 was a remarkable year of 100-percent mission success for Orbital ATK's Flight Systems Group. The group successfully launched 12 Orbital ATK rockets, supported 11 additional launches with propulsion and composite structures, and manufactured 92,000 composite parts. This video showcases the group's major milestones last year.

Get a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes when preparing Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket for flight. Components are shipped from around the world and integrated at the Horizontal Integration Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.

Orbital ATK successfully launched its Minotaur C rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on October 31 at 2:37 p.m. PDT. The space launch vehicle deployed six SkySat and four Dove spacecraft, which will capture medium and high resolution multispectral imagery of Earth at unprecedented scale and frequency for the commercial market.

Soldier safety is at the core of Orbital ATK’s mission. As part of this mission, we have advanced our rocket motor technology to meet current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) insensitive munitions (IM) requirements. Insensitive munitions are munitions that are chemically stable enough to withstand fire, mechanical shocks and shrapnel and still explode to destroy their targets as intended.

Under a contract from Thales Alenia Space, Orbital ATK is assembling and testing the 81 Iridium NEXT satellites at its Gilbert, Arizona satellite manufacturing facility. Orbital ATK engineers highlight the challenges and rewards of working on this exciting program.

On August 26, 2017 Orbital ATK's Minotaur IV successfully launched the ORS-5 satellite for the United States Air Force from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This video features a full replay of the broadcast and launch. Get more information on the mission here: bit.ly/2x7o20P

What is it like to be an intern at Orbital ATK? Hear from some of our 2017 interns about their experience and their favorite part of the job. We are now accepting applications for our 2018 internships. Visit jobs.obitalatk.com to learn more.

On June 15, Orbital ATK, along with NASA and Lockheed Martin, successfully completed the first qualification test for the Orion spacecraft's launch abort motor. The motor is critical to crew safety, with the ability to pull the crew module away from the launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the launch pad or during ascent.

Our Orbital ATK astronauts have a message for you on National Astronaut Day. Read more here: bit.ly/2p2oGx5

Engineering, science and teamwork took center stage at this year's Bring Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Hundreds of children visited our campuses across the country and participated in various activities that included launching bottle rockets, touring facilities and shadowing their parents. See highlights of the activities from our Dulles, Virginia campus.

On April 27, 2017, Orbital ATK successfully completed a test fire of the company’s attitude control motor (ACM) for NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle. The ACM will steer the capsule’s launch abort system and crew module away from the launch vehicle in the event of an emergency. The capsule, developed by Lockheed Martin, is expected to launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System for a test flight in 2018. Learn more about the ACM here: bit.ly/2q75Ce3

Take a look at the mission preview for our OA-7 mission, set to launch in March 2017 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The S.S. John Glenn Cygnus spacecraft will deliver essential supplies, equipment and science experiments to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

2016 was an exciting year for Orbital ATK’s Flight Systems Group with numerous launches, tests, and production milestones. Highlights include launches of Antares and Pegasus, significant rate increases for composite parts, and the final qualification test of the solid rocket boosters for NASA’s Space Launch System.