Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announced today that two satellites the company designed, built and tested for the U.S. Air Force were successfully deployed following their launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on August 19, 2016. The satellites were the third and fourth for the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) and comprise Air Force Space Command Mission Number Six, or AFSPC-6. In addition to the company-built satellites that were deployed, Orbital ATK also provided propulsion, key composite structures and other components on the Delta IV launch vehicle.

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Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2016) - A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV roc ...

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2016) - A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying AFSPC-6 mission lifts off from Space Launch Complex-37 at 12:52 a.m. EDT. Photo by United Launch Alliance

The Orbital ATK-built satellites will operate in near-geosynchronous orbit and collect Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data for more accurate tracking and characterization of man-made objects in Earth orbit. The goal of the program is to enhance the country’s knowledge of the geosynchronous orbit environment for more timely and accurate orbit predictions to improve space flight safety.

“This launch marks the deployment of the second set of satellites we have designed and built for the U.S. Air Force GSSAP program. Enhancing space situational awareness is a top priority for the Air Force Space Command, and once again we provided innovative, reliable and affordable products to support this vital mission,” said Christopher Long, Orbital ATK’s Vice President of National Security Systems. “Our industry leading satellite systems based on flight proven GEOStar, LEOStar, Cygnus and ESPAStar platforms are helping to reshape the boundaries of National Security Space and Civil Space.”

The first two GSSAP satellites built by Orbital ATK were launched July 28, 2014 on AFSPC-4, which included the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Automated Navigation and Guidance Experiment for Local Space (ANGELS) satellite, deployed from the AFSPC-4, EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA). Orbital ATK was the project’s prime contractor responsible for overall system design and development.

Orbital ATK designed, manufactured, integrated and tested the GSSAP satellites at its state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia. The company’s facilities in Dulles, along with Goleta and San Diego, California, and Beltsville, Maryland provided numerous subsystems, including the satellite’s solar arrays, heat pipes, avionic boxes, flight computer, shunt regulator assembly, composite components and deployable structures.

Orbital ATK also made major contributions to the Delta IV launch vehicle, including the two 60-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM-60) produced at its Magna, Utah, facility, where it has manufactured 82 GEM-60s for the Delta IV launch vehicle since the initial flight in 2002. In addition, Orbital ATK supplied 11 key composite structures for the Delta IV rocket and GEM-60 motors that were manufactured at its facilities in Iuka, Mississippi and Clearfield, Utah.

Additionally, Orbital ATK manufactured the propellant tank for the Delta IV upper stage roll control system at the company’s Commerce, California, facility, and designed and manufactured the nozzle for Delta IV’s RS-68A engine at its Promontory, Utah, facility. Orbital ATK also designed and produced the nozzle’s thermal protection material, which is capable of shielding the nozzle from the extreme heat of launch, when external temperatures can exceed 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

About Orbital ATK

Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,000 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.