ATK Announce 2nd Generation Athena Launch Vehicles

[Chris Bergin]

Lockheed Martin and ATK Announce 2nd Generation Athena Launch Vehicles
Athena to fill Critical Niche in Affordable Rockets - Available for Launch in 2012

DENVER, March 25, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) and Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK), have entered into a strategic teaming agreement to offer launch services utilizing upgraded and modernized Athena rockets. These vehicles, based on the flight-proven Athena I and II, are designed to provide reliable access to space for small payloads to a wide range of orbits. Lockheed Martin will provide mission management, payload integration, and launch operations, and ATK will provide integrated vehicle propulsion, launch vehicle structures, booster integration and launch site operations.

The two-stage Athena Ic and three-stage Athena IIc launch vehicles incorporate the new CASTOR(R) 30 upper stage motor and upgrades to electronic systems. Athena is available for launches beginning in 2012, with a payload lift capability that supports a variety of customer mission requirements including NASA, the Department of Defense and other space markets.

"The Athena launch vehicle family offers low-risk, reliable launch services at an affordable price," said John Karas, Vice President and General Manager, Human Space Flight, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "Athena combines both companies' heritage and expertise in launch systems, and makes key system upgrades to provide an enhanced product, skill set and performance capabilities to meet market needs."

Athena can carry payloads up to 3,775 pounds (1,712 kg) to low Earth orbit as well as missions to the moon. Utilizing a large 92-inch diameter payload fairing, the vehicle accommodates a wide range of satellites and missions.

The rockets can be launched from multiple locations including Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Kodiak Launch Complex, Vandenberg Air Force Base and NASA Wallops Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

"The new Athena family will fill an industry need for lift capability in this payload range," said Scott Lehr, Vice President and General Manager, Strategic and Commercial Systems, ATK Aerospace Systems. "There is a growing need for responsive launch capabilities to serve the Department of Defense, NASA and other customer requirements."

First-generation Athena I and II rockets became operational in 1995 and have flown seven times. Athena II launched the Lunar Prospector to the moon in 1998 and remains the only commercially developed launch vehicle to fly a lunar mission.

These second-generation Athena launch vehicles use the same flight-proven ATK CASTOR 120(R) for Stage I and Stage II. The modernized launch vehicles benefit from the latest technology of a newly-developed and ground-tested CASTOR(R) 30 for their upper stage, and Lockheed Martin's modernized electronic systems. Both solid rocket motors are in production and are being used on other launch vehicles in the industry.

[mmeijeri]

Athena II launched the Lunar Prospector to the moon in 1998 and remains the only commercially developed launch vehicle to fly a lunar mission.

Huh? What about LCROSS on Atlas V?

[bad_astra]

I wonder if they will use Kodiak.

[Analyst]

I wonder who needs another small vehicle. Oh I forgot: Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur and Falcon 1 are flying at maximum capacity.

Analyst

[mmeijeri]

It's their money, if they think they can compete and if their shareholders agree then there's nothing wrong with it. As long as there is no continued hidden subsidy from the Shuttle SRBs.

[edkyle99]

There's another thread on this in the U.S. Launch Vehicle section.  Probably need to merge them.

 - Ed Kyle

[Ben the Space Brit]

I wonder who needs another small vehicle. Oh I forgot: Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur and Falcon 1 are flying at maximum capacity.

This has nothing to do with capacity.  It is about having your own product in a certain market to compete for the other LVs' customers.  Hopefully, in the long run, you undercut their prices and force them out of business.  This is how commerce works and is the same process that NASA hopes to use to revivify HSF.

[edkyle99]

Lockheed Martin and ATK Announce 2nd Generation Athena Launch Vehicles

Interestingly, the "upgraded" Athena rockets won't be able to carry as much payload as their predecessors.  The Castor 30 motor is heavier (both dry and loaded) than the old Orbus 21D.  That extra mass especially hurts Athena 1c compared to "Classic" Athena 1.

 - Ed Kyle

[FinalFrontier]

I wonder who needs another small vehicle. Oh I forgot: Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur and Falcon 1 are flying at maximum capacity.

Analyst

Thats a good point. I thought that taurus one had the ultra small market covered and beyond that you needed something like Falcon 1 (or Falcon one e). Why go smaller?
Also: Seems like this is ATK trying to expand their buisness. And considering large SRBs might be going away, thats a good move. Perhaps this way ATK gets more money from sources other than private contractors.

[FinalFrontier]

Lockheed Martin and ATK Announce 2nd Generation Athena Launch Vehicles

Interestingly, the "upgraded" Athena rockets won't be able to carry as much payload as their predecessors.  The Castor 30 motor is heavier (both dry and loaded) than the old Orbus 21D.  That extra mass especially hurts Athena 1c compared to "Classic" Athena 1.

 - Ed Kyle

"The Castor 30 motor is heavier (both dry and loaded) than the old Orbus 21D.  That extra mass especially hurts Athena 1c compared to "Classic" Athena 1."
Yikes.

[Patchouli]

I wonder what the launch price of these vehicles will be and how it will compare with a Falcon or Dnepr.

[edkyle99]

I wonder what the launch price of these vehicles will be and how it will compare with a Falcon or Dnepr.

Dnepr is a much more powerful, and capable, rocket than even the three-stage Athena 2c version.

Falcon 1e would stand against Athena 1c, the smallest two-stage version, but Falcon 1e looks to have quite a bit more lifting ability and flexibility (i.e. Stage 2 restarts) than Athena 1c.

Where Athena might make headway is against Taurus 1 and, perhaps, Minotaur 4.  Athena 2c would lift the same payload using fewer stages than either rocket.  Athena should also be able to compete for pure commercial work that the DoD-based rockets might not be allowed to handle.

 - Ed Kyle 

[mmeijeri]

Athena should also be able to compete for pure commercial work that the DoD-based rockets might not be allowed to handle.

Such as?

[edkyle99]

Athena should also be able to compete for pure commercial work that the DoD-based rockets might not be allowed to handle.

Such as?

I'm thinking of the "commercial" LEOsat imaging companies, once of which Lockheed owned, or still owns, at least in part.

 - Ed Kyle

[mmeijeri]

Why couldn't those use EELVs? LM still offers Atlas flights to commercial customers.

[robertross]

I wonder who needs another small vehicle. Oh I forgot: Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur and Falcon 1 are flying at maximum capacity.

This has nothing to do with capacity.  It is about having your own product in a certain market to compete for the other LVs' customers.  Hopefully, in the long run, you undercut their prices and force them out of business.  This is how commerce works and is the same process that NASA hopes to use to revivify HSF.

Ha. That's a perfect response Ben.

It tells me (or brings to mind) something else: Is there really a market case for this? If there is, then ATK might see this as their next option should CxP & SD-HLV fail to pass with a budget.

[edkyle99]

Why couldn't those use EELVs? LM still offers Atlas flights to commercial customers.

Commercial imagers don't have to be that big and heavy.  Atlas is overkill.  Kilograms cost dollars.

 - Ed Kyle

[mmeijeri]

Ah, I thought you were suggesting there might be some kind of rule involved.

[edkyle99]

Ah, I thought you were suggesting there might be some kind of rule involved.

I think that there are limits on the use of Minotaur, for example.  The payloads, as I understand it, must be for the U.S. government or sponsored by U.S. government agencies.

 - Ed Kyle

[A_M_Swallow]

Athena should also be able to compete for pure commercial work that the DoD-based rockets might not be allowed to handle.

Such as?

Time to persuade the universities that every aeronautics student needs his own cubesat.  Then the research agencies to give in-space support to their astronomers and other scientists.