Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) was an American aerospace and arms manufacturer headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia. The company operated across 22 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. ATK revenue in fiscal year 2014 was about US$4.8 billion.

On April 29, 2014, ATK announced that it would spin off its Sporting Group and merge its Aerospace and Defense Groups with Orbital Sciences Corporation.

The spinoff of the Sporting Group to create Vista Outdoor and the merger leading to the creation of Orbital ATK were completed on February 9, 2015. The companies began operations as separate entities on February 20, 2015. Orbital ATK was bought by Northrop Grumman in 2018.

History ATK was launched as an independent company in 1990 after Honeywell spun off its defense businesses to shareholders. The former Honeywell businesses had supplied defense products and systems to the U.S. and its allies for 50 years, including the first electronic autopilot for the B-17 aircraft's bombing missions during World War II.ATK Corporate History

In 1995, ATK entered the aerospace market with the acquisition of the Hercules Aerospace Co., a division of Hercules Inc. Since then ATK has become a supplier of aerospace and defense products to the U.S. government and its allies, and to their contractors. It also carries on the manufacture and sale of the Hercules gunpowder lines.

In 2001, ATK acquired Thiokol, renaming it ATK Launch Systems in 2006, though it was still known within the industry by its original name. Thiokol was the sole manufacturer of the reusable Solid Rocket Motor used to launch the NASA Space Shuttle, which is being adapted for NASA's Space Launch System.

Also in 2001, ATK entered the sporting and law enforcement ammunition market with the acquisition of the ammunition businesses of Blount International. This acquisition made ATK the nation's largest manufacturer of ammunition.

In 2009, ATK acquired Eagle Industries and in 2010 ATK acquired Blackhawk Industries Products Group Unlimited, LLC, diversifying into the security and law enforcement market.

On April 29, 2014, ATK announced that its board unanimously approved a plan to create two independent, public companies composed of ATK's current businesses and Orbital Sciences Corporation. ATK spun off its Sporting Group to ATK shareholders on a tax-free basis. The spinoff was immediately followed by an all-stock merger of ATK's Aerospace and Defense Groups with Orbital Sciences; Orbital shareholders received ATK common stock as consideration. The combined company was named Orbital ATK Inc."Orbital ATK Space Venture Created in $5 Billion Merger". NBC News On October 28, 2014, ATK announced that it would be seeking approval of issuance of shares to Orbital stockholders on December 9.

ATK responded to news of the explosion of a rocket built by Orbital in an earnings call. ATK stated it would conduct a "thorough evaluation of any potential implications resulting from the incident, including current operating plans, long-term strategies, and the proposed transaction". ATK also said that it was taking a careful look at its Castor 30XL motor, which is used in the second stage of Orbital's Antares rocket. ATK further noted that the explosion occurred before ignition of the second stage.

On November 17, 2014, ATK stated that its due-diligence assessment of its merger with Orbital Sciences undertaken in response to the failure of Orbital's Antares rocket found that the transaction remained in the best interest of its shareholders. Both firms rescheduled shareholder votes on the merger from December 9, 2014, to January 27, 2015.

The spinoff of the Sporting Group to create Vista Outdoor and the merger leading to the creation of Orbital ATK were completed on February 9, 2015; both companies began operations as separate entities on February 20, 2015. Orbital ATK was bought by Northrop Grumman in June 2018. In July 2022, Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden denied reports that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would break up the merger.

Groups ATK Aerospace

ATK's Aerospace Group covered space, defense and commercial aerospace products and capabilities. The group offered propulsion for space exploration, commercial launch vehicles and strategic and missile defense. ATK Aerospace was headquartered in Magna, Utah.

It also specialized in: Composite structures for military and commercial aircraft Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter) Integrated satellite systems Satellite components and subsystems Military flares and decoys Space engineering services Propulsion for space exploration, commercial launch vehicles, strategic and missile defines ALV X-1 sounding rocket

In November 2010, ATK was selected by NASA for potential contracts in heavy lift launch vehicle systems and other propulsion technologies. In 2012, NASA awarded the company a $50 million contract to complete engineering development and risk reduction tests as part of the Advanced Concept Booster Development for the Space Launch System (SLS).

In April 2014, ATK received a contract from the United Launch Alliance, worth $178 million, to produce composite structures for the United States Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. ATK will deliver parts for the Atlas V and Delta IV starting in 2014 and continuing into early 2018. There is an option for additional deliveries in 2017 and 2018. ATK will provide fairings, payload adapters and diaphragms, interstages, nose cones, and thermal/aerodynamic protection components. All the structures will be produced at ATK's Large Structures Center of Excellence in Iuka, Mississippi.

ATK produces avionics for NASA's Space Launch System program. The Space Launch System is designed for deep space operations, including missions to Mars. After ATK finishes testing, avionics will be delivered to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The first launch is expected in 2017.

Airbus A350 XWB-1000

ATK produces composite stringers and frames for the Airbus A350 XWB-1000 variant at its facility in Clearfield, Utah. As of 2014, ATK has delivered more than 10,000 components to Airbus.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

ATK participated in a consortium to develop a new engine nozzle for the Boeing 787 designed to make its operation more environmentally friendly. The nozzle was made from oxide-oxide ceramic matrix composite (CMC) and tested on the 787 ecoDemonstrator. Boeing's tests show that the nozzle is more heat resistant than previous models and lighter, allowing for potential gains in fuel efficiency. This was the largest part ever made from CMC.

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is a spacecraft intended to carry a crew of up to four astronauts to destinations beyond-low Earth orbit. Currently under development by NASA, for launch on the Space Launch System, Orion will facilitate human exploration of the Moon, asteroids and Mars.

ATK developed the launch abort motor that sits on top of the Orion capsule. This device would pull the capsule and its crew up and away from the rocket in the event of major fault on the launch pad or during ascent. ATK also developed numerous composite parts that provide heat protection for Orion.

James Webb Space Telescope

ATK worked with Northrop Grumman to produce the backplane support frame (BSF) for the James Webb Space Telescope. The BSF, center section, and wings form what is called the primary mirror backplane support system (PMBSS). The BSF is the primary load-bearing structure during launch and the PMBSS holds the telescope's main instruments, including its mirrors. The BSF was designed and manufactured at ATK's facilities in Magna, Utah. ATK designed and fabricated more than 10,000 parts for the PMBSS. PMBSS is made primarily of lightweight graphite, but numerous other materials including invar, titanium, and other composite materials were used.

Delta II

ATK produces Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM) and largest composite fairings for the Delta II rocket as a subcontractor for the United Launch Alliance. As of June 2014, ATK has produced 987 solid rocket boosters for Delta II missions. These strap-on boosters, known as GEM-40s, add 434,000 pounds to the Delta II's maximum thrust. The GEM-40s can be used in groups of three, four, and nine depending on the weight of the payload. The composite structures supplied by ATK increase performance by reducing weight. In addition to composite booster cases for the GEM-40s, ATK produces a 10-foot wide composite payload fairing that covers and protects satellites during launch. ATK also produces the titanium diaphragm propellant tanks and pressurant tank for each Delta II vehicle.

Delta IV

ATK produces Graphite Epoxy Motors and numerous other components for the Delta IV rocket. For example, for the Delta IV that carried the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite (WGS-6) into orbit for the U.S. Air Force, ATK supplied the interstage connector that linked the Common Booster Core and the cryogenic second stage, a centerbody that connects the liquid oxygen tank to liquid hydrogen tanks, a thermal shield for the RS-68 engine, the composite payload fairing, and numerous pieces of hardware for securing the payload.

Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) is an American environmental science satellite. The spacecraft is used to study carbon dioxide concentrations and distributions in the atmosphere. ATK produced the OCO-2's Variable Conductance Heat Pipes, an important part of its thermal control system, solar arrays, and solar array substrates.

InSight

InSight is a robotic lander mission to Mars originally planned for launch in March 2016.NASA will send robot drill to Mars in 2016, Washington Post, By Brian Vastag, Monday, August 20 The mission's objective is to place a stationary lander equipped with a seismometer and heat flow probe on the surface of Mars to study its early geological evolution. This would bring new understanding of the solar system's terrestrial planets. ATK was awarded a contract to provide its UltraFlex solar arrays for the mission. ATK claims that UltraFlex will provide better performance than typical solar arrays used on spacecraft while accommodating ambitious requirements for low mass and small size.

Atlas V

ATK entered the competition to replace the Russian-made rocket engine on the Atlas V rocket in September 2014. The Atlas V is used to launch most U.S. military satellites. ATK entered the competition in response to a request for proposals from the Air Force Space and Missile Defense Center issued in 2013 for the RD-180 rocket engine. ATK already supplies rocket engines used in heavier version of the Atlas V. ATK says that solid rocket motors are more reliable and deliver more thrust. ATK said, "Solid rocket motors are optimal for first-stage performance as they provide high lift-off thrust, allowing for more payload margin. They also require less ground and launch infrastructure, resulting in fewer launch scrubs." The RD-180 engines use kerosene for fuel. The request from the Air Force occurred due to concerns about whether the RD-180 would be available in the future due to increasing tensions with Russia.

Graphite Epoxy Motors The Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM) is a solid rocket motor produced by ATK using epoxy composite casing. GEMs are used as boosters for the Delta II, Delta III, and Delta IV launch vehicles. The use of composite materials allows for booster casings several times lighter than the steel casings of the Castor 4 solid rocket motors they replaced. The first flight of a GEM occurred in 1990 on a Delta II 7925.

ATK Defense

ATK's Defense Group produced ammunition, precision and strike weapons, missile-warning solutions and tactical rocket motors across air, sea and land-based systems.

ATK Defense Group develops products and services for: Small-, medium- and large-caliber ammunition