Orbital Sciences
Orbital Sciences is now Orbital ATK the company does great things and strives to be the best in the private sector. The personnel their were very open to welcome me there and really made it easy for me to fit in with the team.
| Operating Division | |
| ISIN | |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space industry Aerospace industry Defense industry |
| Predecessors | |
| Founded | February 9, 2015; 5 years ago (as Orbital ATK) June 5, 2018[1] (as Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems) |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Worldwide | |
Key people |
|
| Products | Electronics, Rocket engines, Military vehicles, Firearms, Autocannons, Missiles, Ammunition, Precision-guided munitions, Satellites, Missile approach warning systems, Launch vehicles, Spacecraft, |
| Revenue | US$ 4.455 billion (2016) |
| US$ 293 million (2016) | |
| Total assets | US$ 5.418 billion (2016) |
| Total equity | US$ 1.817 billion (2016) |
Number of employees | ~12,500[2] (2016) |
| Website | www.orbitalatk.com at the Wayback Machine (archived March 25, 2018) |
Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems is an American aerospace manufacturer and defense industry company that operates as the aviation division of parent company Northrop Grumman. It was formed as Orbital ATK Inc. in 2015 from the merger of Orbital Sciences Corporation and parts of Alliant Techsystems, and was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2018.[3] Innovation Systems designs, builds, and delivers space, defense, and aviation-related systems to customers around the world both as a prime contractor and as a merchant supplier. It has a workforce of approximately 12,000 employees dedicated to aerospace and defense including about 4,000 engineers and scientists; 7,000 manufacturing and operations specialists; and 1,000 management and administration personnel.[2]
History[edit]
A merger of Orbital Sciences Corporation and the defense and aerospace divisions of Alliant Techsystems (ATK) was announced on April 29, 2014. The two companies had collaborated on several previous projects, including the use of 400 ATK rocket motors in Orbital's launch vehicles.[4] The deal officially closed on February 9, 2015. ATK's sporting-goods division spun off to form Vista Outdoor on the same day.[5]
On September 18, 2017, Northrop Grumman announced plans to purchase Orbital ATK for $7.8 billion in cash plus assumption of $1.4 billion in debt.[6] Orbital ATK shareholders approved the buyout on November 29, 2017.[7] The FTC approved the acquisition with conditions on June 5, 2018, and one day later, Orbital ATK were absorbed and became Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.[8][9]
Organization[edit]
Flight Systems Group[edit]
Based in Chandler, Arizona,[5] the Flight Systems Group includes the Pegasus, Minotaur, and Antares launch vehicles as well as solid-propulsion and aerostructures programs.[1] The company also operates a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar wide body jetliner, which is named Stargazer and is used to air launch Pegasus rockets carrying payloads into space.[10] The Stargazer aircraft is also used for testing under specific programs.
Defense Systems Group[edit]
The Defense Systems Group, based in the Baltimore, Maryland[5] area, produces tactical missiles, defense electronics, and medium- and large-caliber ammunition. The division also produces fuzing and warheads for both tactical missiles and munitions; precision metal and composite structures for medium and large-caliber ammunition, military aircraft, ground vehicles, and missile systems; load, assembly, and pack (LAP) of medium caliber munitions; and propellants and powders for the canister and commercial markets.
Space Systems Group[edit]
Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group provides satellites for commercial, scientific, and security purposes.[1] This group also produces the Cygnus spacecraft, which delivers cargo to the International Space Station. The group is based at the company's headquarters on Warp Drive in Dulles, Virginia.[5]
Products[edit]
Rockets[edit]
- Antares, two- or three-stage medium-lift expendable launch vehicle
- Minotaur I, four-stage small-lift expendable launch vehicle
- Minotaur IV, four-stage small-lift expendable launch vehicle
- Minotaur V, five-stage launch vehicle used for geosynchronous transfer orbits and trans-lunar orbits
- Minotaur VI, five-stage medium-lift expendable launch vehicle
- Minotaur-C, four-stage small-lift expendable launch vehicle
- Pegasus, air-launched four-stage small-lift launch vehicle
Rocket engines[edit]
- GEM-40, solid rocket booster used on the Delta II rocket
- GEM-60, solid rocket booster used on the Delta IV rocket
- GEM-63, solid rocket booster planned to be used on the Atlas V rocket
- GEM-63XL, solid rocket booster planned to be used on the Vulcan rocket
- Castor 4, solid rocket used on the Maxussounding rocket
- Castor 30, solid rocket used on the Antares rocket
- Castor 120, solid rocket used on the Minotaur-C rocket
- Space Launch System Solid Rocket Booster, based on the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
Spacecraft[edit]
- Al Yah 3, communications satellite for Al Yah Satellite Communications
- HYLAS-4, communications satellite for Avanti Communications
- SES-16, communications satellite for SES S.A.
- LandSat 9, environmental satellite for NASA and USGS
- Joint Polar Satellite System-2, weather and environmental satellite for NASA and NOAA
- ICESat-2, ice-topography satellite for NASA
- Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, space telescope for NASA
- Ionospheric Connection Explorer, science mission for NASA
- Cygnus, automated cargo spacecraft
- Dawn, space probe for NASA currently in orbit around Ceres
Munitions[edit]
- Mk310 PABM-Tair burst rounds for MK44.[11][12]
Firearms[edit]
- XM25 CDTE, an airburstgrenade launcher.
References[edit]
- ^ abcBerger, Brian (February 12, 2015). 'Orbital ATK Org Charts Detail the Newly Merged Company'. SpaceNews. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ ab'Company Overview'. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^'Orbital ATK will become Northrop Grumman's fourth business sector'. 2018-06-06.
- ^Aitoro, Jill R. (April 29, 2014). 'Why the merger of ATK and Orbital Sciences makes sense'. Washington Business Journal. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ abcdWall, Mike (February 10, 2015). 'Orbital ATK, Merger of Orbital Sciences and ATK, Begins Operations'. Space.com. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^'Northrop Grumman to Acquire Orbital ATK for $9.2 Billion'(PDF) (Press release). Falls Church and Dulles, Virginia: Northrop Grumman Corporation. September 18, 2017. Archived from the original(PDF) on January 27, 2018.
- ^'Orbital ATK Shareholders Vote to Approve Acquisition by Northrop Grumman'. Northrop Grumman Newsroom (Press release). Falls Church, Virginia: Northrop Grumman Corporation. November 29, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ^'FTC Imposes Conditions on Northrop Grumman's Acquisition of Solid Rocket Motor Supplier Orbital ATK, Inc' (Press release). Federal Trade Commission. June 5, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^Erwin, Sandra (June 5, 2018). 'Acquisition of Orbital ATK approved, company renamed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems'. SpaceNews. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ^'Orbital ATK'. www.orbitalatk.com.
- ^'30mm & 20mm x 173mm Munition System'. www.orbitalatk.com.
- ^'Brochure'(PDF). orbitalatk.com.
External links[edit]
- Official website (now a redirect to Northrop Grumman's website)
This image provided by NASA shows the Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, as it suffers a catastrophic anomaly moments after launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Cygnus spacecraft was filled with about 5,000 pounds of supplies slated for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. (AP Photo/NASA, Joel Kowsky)NASA pays it billions. Its rockets sport mythical names like Minotaur and Pegasus. And its $2 billion deal to resupply the International Space Station had gone well—until this week.
Aerospace company Orbital Sciences Corp. Suffered a big failure late Tuesday when one of its unmanned rocket bound for the station exploded moments after liftoff. That rocket was Orbital's newest model, Antares, which had its first mission in 2013.The launch pad failure is a setback for a company with a 30-year history in private spaceflight, including 42 successful missions on its Pegasus small-payload rockets since 1990. The explosion also comes at a delicate time for the company, which is closing a $5 billion merger with defense contractor ATK.The company's launch pad and other facilities near a Virginia site were spared major damage, based on a preliminary analysis, Orbital executives said Wednesday. They also believe the rocket, its cargo, as well as any damage to the site will be covered by insurance.For investors, though, the explosion raises concerns. The failure, wrote Jefferies analyst Howard Rubel, 'may hamper, but not prevent, Orbital from signing contracts with additional customers for Antares.'
PRODUCTS: Rockets and satellites for commercial, military and government use. The company's Pegasus and Minotaur space launch vehicles put satellites into orbit.
Development of the Antares rocket was completed last year. Orbital has a contract with Boeing to make boosters for missile defense.MAJOR CUSTOMERS: U.S. Department of Defense and NASA. Orbital Sciences had planned eight Antares launches to resupply the International Space Station through 2016 under a $1.9 billion contract.
That accounted for nearly a quarter of its revenue last year and 83 percent of the company's 2013 revenue derived from the U.S. Government.STOCK IMPACT: The company's stock fell $5.10, or 17 percent, to $25.27 Wednesday. It's up 8.5 percent this year.FUTURE MISSIONS: Orbital CEO and Chairman David Thompson told investors it was 'too soon' to see how it might affect future missions. The company's next mission was scheduled for April.RIVALS: Orbital Sciences' most high-profile competitor in private spaceflight is Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly called SpaceX. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon are all major competitors in some of its business lines.FINANCIALS: For 2013, Orbital Sciences reported net income of $68.4 million, or $1.13 per share, on revenue of $1.37 billion.MERGER IMPACT? Despite the rocket failure, CEO Thompson believes Orbital's merger with ATK won't be affected.
It was released as a double A-side single with '. Om nom stories season 1.
The shareholder vote on the deal is still scheduled for Dec. 9.FOUNDED: 1982.
According to the company's history page, it got its first NASA contract in 1985, when it had 20 employees. The company went public on the Nasdaq in 1990.EMPLOYEES: 3,450 as of Aug. 1.HQ: Dulles, Virginia.OTHER LOCATIONS: It has manufacturing operations in Gilbert and Chandler, Arizona, and also leases space at Vanderberg Air Force Base in California and at other government facilities in Virginia and Alabama.EARLIER FAILURES: Satellites launches on Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket failed in 2009 and 2011. In 2009, a NASA mission to monitor global warming from space ended when the satellite plunged into the ocean near Antarctica minutes after launch.
In 2011, a similar global warming satellite powered by the Taurus XL went into the ocean near California.