Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has delivered the Orion launch abort system (LAS) attitude control motor (ACM) from its facility in Elkton, Maryland, to the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, for NASA’s upcoming pad abort 1 (PA-1) flight test. PA-1 is the first flight test for NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle being developed by Lockheed Martin to become the nation’s next-generation space flight vehicle to carry out missions in low Earth orbit and explore other destinations throughout our solar system such as the moon, Mars or even asteroids. The Orion LAS is designed to significantly improve crew safety for human space flight.

The ACM was developed with new, innovative technologies that will be tested during PA-1, such as the first system level demonstration of a controllable solid propulsion system intended for human space flight. In addition, this test will provide the first system-level demonstration of high-thrust proportional valves and the first use of a high-voltage lithium-ion battery in a solid-propellant system. Now at White Sands, the ACM will be integrated with the other motors and subsystems that comprise the LAS and will be an integral component to success of the flight test that NASA is scheduled to launch this spring. The delivery of the ACM follows the successful static test of a full-scale attitude control motor conducted by ATK on December 15, 2009 at Elkton. That test validated ATK’s design and the motor’s performance met all test objectives. The ACM provides steering for the Orion launch abort system, which is designed to safely lift and steer the Orion crew module away from the launch vehicle in the event of an emergency. The LAS will enhance safety by providing an emergency escape for astronauts occupying the crew exploration vehicle. The LAS is mounted on top of the crew module and is comprised of three motors: an attitude control motor, an abort motor and a jettison motor.