Kent Rominger Joins ATK Launch Systems Group as Vice President Advanced Programs

Kent Rominger Joins ATK Launch Systems Group as Vice President Advanced Programs by jacqmans on 25 Oct, 2006 13:40
Kent Rominger Joins ATK Launch Systems Group as Vice President Advanced Programs

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced today that Kent Rominger, former NASA Chief of the Astronaut Corps, has accepted the position of Vice President, Advanced Programs within the Launch Systems Group.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061025/CGW013 )

"We are honored to have Kent join our team at ATK," said Ron Dittemore, President ATK Launch Systems. "His background and experience will be a valuable asset to our company."

Rominger brings to ATK more than 20 years of experience working for NASA and the U.S. Navy in various leadership positions. He has logged over 7,000 flying hours in more than 35 types of aircraft, and conducted 685 carrier landings.

As an astronaut Rominger flew on five space shuttle flights, logging a total of more than 1,600 hours in space and twice served as a shuttle commander. In his most recent role as the Chief of the Astronaut Corps at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, he managed the Astronaut Office in support of the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Exploration Programs.

Rominger holds a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and a master of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

At ATK, Rominger will oversee the development of new systems solutions for NASA, the Department of Defense and commercial customers.

ATK is a $3.4 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 15,000 people in 22 states.

Media Contact:

George Torres
Phone: 801-251-2819
E-mail: [email protected]
#1 by Jim on 25 Oct, 2006 13:46
I just lost my respect for him
#2 by meiza on 25 Oct, 2006 14:00
Didn't the astronaut corps push for the Stick? And now they get good jobs at ATK. Seems like a conflict of interest.
#3 by aero313 on 25 Oct, 2006 14:38
At the risk of upsetting alot of people, I've often wondered about the wisdom of hiring ex-astronauts to run launch companies. Is Ralph Cramden qualified to run the bus company?
#4 by Propforce on 25 Oct, 2006 14:39
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meiza - 25/10/2006 6:43 AM

Didn't the astronaut corps push for the Stick? And now they get good jobs at ATK. Seems like a conflict of interest.

A blatant sold-out of one's ethics and a betrayal of the U.S. taxpayers.

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.... Ron Dittemore, President ATK Launch Systems...

The ex-Shuttle program manager during the Columbia accident.
#5 by oscar71 on 26 Oct, 2006 21:45
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meiza - 25/10/2006 8:43 AM

Didn't the astronaut corps push for the Stick? And now they get good jobs at ATK. Seems like a conflict of interest.

I thought there were laws prohibiting federal employees from benefitting from companies that did business with their organizations.
#6 by Jim on 26 Oct, 2006 22:12
Only if they have "direct" involvement with the contract, either by managing it, participate in the source selection or providing award fee inputs. I could get a job with ATK but not Boeing Delta or LM Atlas.

He is ok with the letter of the law but not the intent. He as chief of the astronaut office had some policy input

edit: I could get a job with LM Orion since I have had nothing to do with that contract.
#7 by Jackson on 29 Oct, 2006 01:24
Why is there so much dislike of ATK?
#8 by spacedreams on 31 Oct, 2006 16:51
I think we all expected this to happen but I am still highly disappointed that it did. The level of corruption in the NASA organization is absolutely out of control. I am just absolutely fed up. There are so many good people working very hard to make things work at the ground level and it only takes a few people with a lot of power to ruin it all.
#9 by vt_hokie on 31 Oct, 2006 21:34
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Jackson - 28/10/2006 9:07 PM

Why is there so much dislike of ATK?

For me, I guess it's because politics brought us the segmented SRB that has already cost lives and now politics is resulting in one of the worst aspects of the STS design becoming an integral part of our next generation crew transportation system.
#10 by MATTBLAK on 02 Nov, 2006 09:26
I DO NOT want them to launch people on top of this overweight, underperforming, over-budget, over-porked kludged monstrosity. Ares 1 "stick" has got to go. The only thing Shuttle SRBs should be used for are strap-on boosters, period. Because they already exist and have worked so well for so long in that function. They don't even need to make them into 5-Segments. Don't spend the billions to develop these; leave them alone, other than for logical safety improvements and weight reduction that doesn't violate those same safety improvements. Ares V and "Direct" have other options to boost the payloads, other than "stretching" these SRBs.

Less is more (safety).
#11 by Wolverine on 02 Nov, 2006 16:22
You know I did support the stick at one point, but this is sad. Do we want to go to the moon, or use the corporate culture to help our buddies out who need overpaying jobs? They are gambling everything that the stick will work. What if it doesn't? Doesn't that seriously jeopardize the whole program? No space program at all? Or at best more years of delays and wasted $$$$. I'm throwing in with the Direct crowd. The Direct method has so much flexibility. If I understand correctly the stick can just *barely* put the Orion into orbit.....?