[SatNews] ATK's (NYSE: ATK) Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) ignited at 4:53 p.m. EST... and for good cause.

The Company's RSRM launched the Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew on their 11-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Since the inaugural flight of the space shuttle, 266 space shuttle solid rocket motors have been launched to date, with 53 full-scale ground tests allowing ATK and NASA to constantly improve safety, techniques and processes. The 149-foot-tall solid rocket boosters each produced more than 15 million horsepower, safely launching the shuttle to approximately 28 miles in altitude in just over two minutes. After the flight, the RSRMs were jettisoned from the orbiter and external tank by ATK's 16 Booster Separation Motors (BSMs). Each booster has eight BSMs: four on the forward skirt and four on the aft skirt. The separation motors propelled the RSRMs to a safe distance from the shuttle orbiter, enabling the spent boosters to parachute down through the Earth's atmosphere where they splashed down into the ocean for recovery. In addition, ATK supplied the titanium hydrazine propellant tanks for the space shuttle Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). Three APU tanks house the hydrazine fuel that generates power for the shuttle's hydraulic system. These tanks have performed perfectly for each of the shuttle's three decades of operations. While continuing to safely fly the space shuttle, ATK is making significant strides in the development of the new five-segment solid rocket motor with the successful test firing of development motor-2, or DM-2, in August. Modifications to the motor include an added fifth segment, changes to the propellant grain, a larger nozzle opening, and an upgraded liner and insulation — all designed to meet performance requirements and increase reliability while lowering manufacturing costs.