Zacks_Analysts' Blog : Alliant Another Contract - Analyst Blog

Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) has agreed to provide rocket motors for Orbital Science Corporation's (ORB) launch vehicle, which enables NASA to supply cargo to the International Space Station.

The contract is valued at about $57 million.

Under the contract, Alliant will supply the CASTOR 30XL to Orbital for use on its Taurus II commercial launch vehicle. The CASTOR 30XL is an upgraded second stage motor having greater payload capacity than the CASTOR 30A, which is presently used on Orbital’s Taurus II vehicle.

Alliant said the CASTOR 30XL is a larger and higher-performance solid rocket motor and is an important addition to its expanding portfolio of commercial propulsion products. The company has leveraged its heritage flight-proven and cost-effective technologies to develop a customized, higher-performing second stage solution for Orbital's Taurus II launch vehicle.    

Orbital's Taurus II medium-class launch vehicle is slated to perform commercial cargo re-supply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.  It will be demonstrated under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program and put into service under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.

Alliant said that Orbital’s Taurus II launch vehicle will undergo tests with the CASTOR before being put to full use. The company said the first two test flights of Taurus II will use the original CASTOR 30A configuration, the next two flights will use a higher-performing CASTOR 30B motor, while the CASTOR 30XL will be used after the first four flights.

Alliant has a long and successful history of working with Orbital as their solid propulsion provider. Going forward, the company hopes to expand this partnership providing more such solutions for Orbital.

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Alliant Techsystems is a premier aerospace, defense and commercial products company operating in 24 states, Puerto Rico and internationally. It earns revenues of approximately $4.8 billion. The company supplies products to U.S. government agencies, and its prime contractors and sub-contractors. It also supplies ammunition and related accessories to law enforcement agencies and commercial customers.

We retain our long-term Neutral recommendation on the stock. Alliant currently has a short-term Zacks #3 Rank ('Hold'), which is in line with its closest peers General Dynamics Corp. (GD) and Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC).