ATK Press Release:

Astronauts and Astrophysicists Lead the Way to Deep Space

NASA AND ATK TEAM UP WITH CLARK PLANETARIUM TO SHOWCASE DEEP SPACE CAPABILITIES

Feb 27, 2014

Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 27, 2014 – Salt Lake City’s Clark Planetarium is often a place for discovery, and today it allowed Utah students to learn they can be the explorers who go to Mars in the not so distant future.

NASA, ATK (NYSE: ATK) and Salt Lake County’s Clark Planetarium partnered to showcase NASA’s interactive, traveling display that demonstrates the capabilities of its new heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS is designed to take humans farther into space than ever before, including to an asteroid and eventually Mars. The rocket will also enable potential science missions to other planets such as Saturn or Jupiter. SLS will deliver more capacity and thrust than any past, present, or otherwise planned vehicle — for entirely new pursuits, building a bridge to the future.

During the event, ATK also unveiled its updated rocketry display, highlighting Utah’s pivotal role in NASA’s deep space exploration plans. The debut afforded museum goers the rare opportunity to rub shoulders with astronauts.

Donnalee Trease’s sixth grade class from Creekside Elementary in Kaysville was among students arriving at the planetarium in the early hours Wednesday to be the first to see the NASA and ATK displays. The students joined a local television news personality and NASA astronaut Tony Antonelli for an early-morning broadcast announcing the week’s events.

“I would want us to go to Mars because we’ve learned a lot in school about it, like why it is red, but there is so much more to learn,” said Ellie Caspert, a 6^th grade student from Creekside Elementary. “And in the end – all of this is to help earth!”

Nearly a thousand students enjoyed a field trip to the planetarium today, and thousands more, along with their families, are expected to visit throughout the weekend before NASA’s display departs March 3.

The event highlighted the integral part the new heavy-lift SLS rocket plays in the country’s bold undertaking to extend human reach into deep space. The SLS, along with the new Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts into deep space, will provide an exploration capability no other spacecraft under development can provide.

NASA executive, Alex Priskos, ATK executive and former NASA astronaut Charlie Precourt, along with Antonelli treated the public, Planetarium supporters and local news media to a space exploration discussion yesterday, and a ribbon cutting and press conference with Salt Lake County officials, celebrating Clark Planetarium’s new permanent SLS rocketry exhibit today.

“It’s thrilling to me that we are making great progress on the rocket that will take humans to deep space,” said Antonelli. “I, for one, will be ready and willing to fly on it.”

“NASA, ATK and other industry partners have exciting milestones this year for NASA’s deep space exploration,” said Priskos. “Not only are we looking forward to Orion’s first test flight this fall, but also to finalizing the SLS booster design and the subsequent full scale testing.”

ATK is producing the twin first-stage boosters for the heavy-lift rocket, as well as its avionics. Additionally, the company makes the launch abort motor for Orion’s launch abort system, a critical safety feature for the rocket. An inert launch abort motor will fly on Orion’s first mission later this year.

“SLS is the largest, most powerful rocket in the world and will be more than capable of launching the Orion crew capsule into deep space,” said Precourt. “I am proud to be part of the team that is building it. We are on the verge of the largest step toward exploration that has ever been taken.”

“We are grateful to NASA and ATK for providing this new exhibit of NASA’s heavy-lift rocket to highlight the future of space exploration beyond the bounds of the International Space Station and help inspire Utah’s students to pursue exciting STEM fields,” said Seth Jarvis, Clark Planetarium excutive director. “Our nation is forging ahead on its next bold step in the human exploration of deep space, and we’re proud to be telling that story through this new exhibit.”

“Clark Planetarium stands as a valuable community asset with a mission to educate and engage the public in a remarkably inspiring way,” said Scott Scharman, Clark Planetarium Board Chair. “Nothing inspires our children to imagine the future like seeing an actual moon rock or a model of the next generation of rockets that will carry astronauts and equipment into space, such as this one being built by NASA and ATK. We’re proud to be initiating the critical investments needed to help establish the Clark Planetarium’s exhibits and programs as truly first-rate, and we thank ATK for their generous partnership.”

ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with operations in 22 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com, on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/atk, or on Twitter @ATK.