Spaceflight Insider

News Archive / Tagged: Orbital ATK

  • 2 new JPSS spacecraft to be produced under NASA’s Rapid III contract

    Jason RhianMay 26th, 2018

    Two additional Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) spacecraft are now set to be constructed by Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital ATK for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

  • OA-9 Cygnus cargo ship arrives at ISS

    Derek RichardsonMay 24th, 2018

    Orbital ATK’s OA-9 Cygnus cargo spacecraft rendezvoused with the International Space Station May 24, 2018, after a three-day chase of the orbiting outpost following a successful launch atop an Antares rocket.

  • GALLERY: Orbital ATK Antares rocket launches OA-9 Cygnus spacecraft

    Jason RhianMay 23rd, 2018

    WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — Launching into the early-morning skies from the central part of the U.S. East Coast, Orbital ATK's Antares rocket orbited the company's OA-9 Cygnus cargo spacecraft on a mission to resupply the International Space Station.

  • First motor segment for new OmegA rocket produced

    Jason RhianMay 23rd, 2018

    The first inert motor segment produced for tests of Orbital ATK's new OmegA rocket has been completed. This new segment has been designed as part of the Common Boost Segment (CBS) program. This is the latest step in efforts designed to produce new launch vehicles.

  • 3 CubeSats flying with OA-9 Cygnus spacecraft

    Michael ColeMay 22nd, 2018

    WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — The launch of the OA-9 Cygnus resupply mission to the ISS carried with it supplies and experiments. Also riding with the freighter are 15 CubeSats to be deployed by the outpost's astronauts. These micro-satellites include a trio designed to greatly-enhance different areas of Earth observation.

  • OA-9 Cygnus named in honor of J.R. Thompson

    Jason RhianMay 8th, 2018

    The OA-9 Cygnus spacecraft, currently scheduled to launch on May 20 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia - has a name. Breaking with tradition of how these vehicles have been named in the past, the OA-9 Cygnus will not bear the name of a former astronaut.

  • The alpha of the OmegA: Orbital ATK’s new rocket gains name

    Jason RhianApril 17th, 2018

    Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital ATK has announced the name of the company's new, large-class rocket: OmegA. This new launch vehicle is meant for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.

  • Orbital ATK unveils new satellite-servicing technology

    Jim SharkeyMarch 31st, 2018

    During the recent SATELLITE 2018 Conference and Expo, aerospace company Orbital ATK introduced  two new in-orbit satellite servicing products: the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) and Mission Extension pods (MEPS).  These new products will join the company's Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) to create a suite of in-orbit satellite servicing technologies capable of extending the life of existing satellites. 

  • Next Generation Launcher considered under U.S. Air Force’s EELV program

    Jason RhianMarch 24th, 2018

    The U.S. Air Force is considering Orbital ATK's Next Generation Launcher under its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. What does this new launch vehicle look like? How tall will it be? What will it capable of? To find the answers to these questions, SpaceFlight Insider spoke with one of the officials responsible for the new booster's development.

  • Luxembourg’s GovSat-1 satellite goes operational

    Jason RhianMarch 20th, 2018

    Launched on Jan. 31, 2018, the flight of the GovSat-1 got its start atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida. The spacecraft has come online and could aid in security efforts for the tiny European nation - as well as provide other services.

  • TESS scientist explains what the Goldilocks orbit is

    Jim SiegelFebruary 21st, 2018

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- NASA is planning on launching the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission about mid-April aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. TESS is planned to operate from a "sweet spot" so to speak, but Goldilocks zones and Goldilocks orbits aren't the same. 

  • Intelsat S.A. orders Mission Extension Vehicle 2 to increase life span of Intelsat spacecraft

    Jason RhianJanuary 5th, 2018

    Intelsat S.A. has awarded a contract for use of the second Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2) spacecraft. Produced by Orbital ATK, the MEVs provide mission extension services to satellites already on orbit and are slated to begin undertaking their tasks within the coming months.

  • Cygnus OA-8 cargo spacecraft departs ISS

    Heather SmithDecember 6th, 2017

    The Orbital ATK Cygnus OA-8 cargo spacecraft departed from the International Space Station at 8:11 a.m. EST (13:11 GMT) on Wednesday, December 6, 2017, after delivering almost 7,400 pounds (3,356 kg) of cargo to support science experiments.

  • Insider Exclusive: America’s ‘Booster Belt’ – Part One

    Jason RhianNovember 20th, 2017

    IUKA, Miss. -- We only knew that we were traveling to see where rocket components and rockets were made - and little else. SpaceFlight Insider photographer, Vikash Mahadeo, who accompanied me on our week-long foray to several rocket manufacturing facilities along with myself were as prepared as we could be - but we had no idea what to expect. What followed was an experience that would redefine the way we looked at space flight.

  • S.S. Gene Cernan OA-8 Cygnus arrives at ISS

    Derek RichardsonNovember 14th, 2017

    After a two-day trek, Orbital ATK’s OA-8 Cygnus cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station. The vehicle was berthed to the outpost at 7:15 a.m. EST (12:15 GMT) Nov. 14, 2017, and will remain attached for several weeks.