The US Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office has selected Orbital ATK to launch the ORS-5 SensorSat spacecraft in mid-2017.
Under the $23.6m contract, the company will lift-off the satellite from Space Florida’s Launch Complex-46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station using its Minotaur IV rocket.
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For the first three stages, the Minotaur IV rocket uses Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Peacekeeper boosters, and Orbital ATK Orion 38 motors for the upper stages.
The vehicle will be equipped with a wide range of Orbital ATK’s avionics, structures, software and other components.
Orbital ATK launch vehicles division vice-president and general manager Rich Straka said: "Launching from the Cape adds another capability to our programme and brings us to four ranges from which Minotaur can launch.
"This flexibility and multiple vehicle configurations enables Minotaur launch vehicles to be tailored to meet mission requirements, while offering the lowest cost flight-proven launch vehicles available to the US Government."
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By GlobalDataThe company said that solid rocket motor-powered launch vehicle require minimal pad infrastructure.
Orbital ATK flight systems group president Scott Lehr said: "This is a prime example of where the synergies from the Orbital ATK merger are providing real benefits to our customers, by being able to deploy one launch team that possesses expertise from critical propulsion and avionics subsystems, to the full systems engineering understanding of the vehicle."
Orbital has so far carried out 25 successful launches using the Minotaur vehicles to place 74 satellites into orbit.
