ATK Plays Critical Technical Role On NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper Mission
(NYSE: ATK), is celebrating the news that NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)
has reached lunar orbit aboard the Indian Space Research Organization’s
Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft and is now operational.
ATK’s
the program. ATK’s contribution included the design, analysis and fabrication
of compact, lightweight structures capable of surviving the rigors of
spaceflight while meeting exacting science requirements. An important element
in the success to date of M3 was the engineering team’s ability to derive,
achieve, and maintain the critical optical alignments necessary for this
state-of-the-art hyperspectral imager to attain performance beyond that of
previous similar instruments.
In addition, the multi-discipline engineering capabilities of ATK were
utilized on nearly every aspect of the M3 design. From mechanical and
electronics CAD design to optical, structural, and thermal analysis, ATK’s
technical team worked closely with their counterparts at NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory to rapidly respond to spacecraft changes as they developed.
Chandrayaan-1 is
carrying a payload of 11 science instruments, including two from the US. Over
the planned two-years orbiting the moon, M3 promises to provide valuable data
to improve scientists’ knowledge of the geology of the Earth-Moon system,
properties of lunar materials, and the science and technology of lunar
resources.
Led for NASA by principal investigator
the Moon Mineralogy Mapper was designed and built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory,
ATK is a premier aerospace and defense company with more than 17,000
employees in 21 states and approximately
information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com.
Media Contact: Investor Contact:
Mark Anderes Jeff Huebschen
Phone: 240-988-0255 Phone: 952-351-2929
E-mail: mark.anderes@atk.com E-mail: jeff.huebschen@atk.com
SOURCE ATK