Alliant Techsystems has received a $49 million contract from Orbital Sciences Corporation to provide at least nine flight sets of Orion solid rocket motors.

If options in the contract are exercised, the total value would increase. Orion motors are used on a variety of launch vehicles including Ground Based Missile Defense's Orbital Boost Vehicle, as well as Minotaur, Pegasus and Taurus launch vehicles. The flight set motors range in size from 38 to 50 inches in diameter, and four to 33 feet in length. Each flight set consists of a minimum of three stages. Work under the contract will be performed by ATK at its facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. Deliveries are expected to be complete by 2011. ATK's Orion motors have a 100 percent mission success rate. They first flew in 1990 on a Pegasus launch vehicle. In 2007, ATK delivered its 100th flight set.

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