Orbital-Iuka’s ULA heat shield

Orbital ATK, a global aerospace and defense technologies firm, supported the March 1 launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The rocket launched a classified satellite, designated NROL-79, for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office in support of a national security mission. Orbital ATK provided advanced hardware from across multiple divisions to the ULA Atlas V launch vehicle. Orbital ATK produced the 10-foot diameter composite heat shield, which provides essential protection for the first stage of the launch vehicle. The assembly was fabricated using advanced fiber placement manufacturing techniques at the company’s Iuka, Miss., facility. It was the 70th Atlas V launch to use Orbital ATK-built composite structures. This flight also marked the 35th consecutive successful flight of the Orbital ATK retro motors. The next Orbital ATK launch of a commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station is tentatively scheduled to launch March 19 at about 9:56 p.m. CDT. (Source: Space Ref 03/01/17)