NASA Administrator Charles Bolden along with Goddard Space Flight Center Director Christopher Scolese got a firsthand look at work being done at ATK Space Systems Division in Beltsville, Maryland during a visit on May 28, 2014...L-R: Blake Larson, President, ATK Aerospace Group, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Tom Wilson, VP & GM, Space Systems Division, Goddard Space Flight Center Director Chris Scolese

Photo credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth

They toured the facilities and met the team responsible for the space tools used by astronauts during five service calls to the Hubble Space Telescope and on-going activities outside the orbiting International Space Station along with new efforts to develop robotic satellite servicing capabilities. The tour included ATK's Robotic Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) Lab with demonstrated simulations of innovative robotic technology that extend the life of satellites.  

The ATK Space Systems Division, located at 5050 Powder Mill Rd, Beltsville, MD 20705 provides a broad portfolio of products and services that include integrated satellite bus systems; multidisciplinary engineering services; and integrated thermal-control systems. The 280,000-square-foot facility includes design, fabrication, manufacturing and test facilities.

ATK’s Jeff Braden described to Bolden and Scolese the capabilities of the Robotic Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) Lab located at ATK’s Beltsville facility. The ATK RPO lab demonstrates satellite life extension technology with robotic and air-bearing testbeds, simulated satellite RPO and docking maneuvers.

ATK SSD has created a game-changing new commercial space market--on-orbit satellite servicing--which promotes robotic servicing technology and provides satellite owners with more value for their investments.

For more information  about ATK, check www.atk.com