ATK Awarded $2.8 Million Contract With Sandia National Laboratories to Build Satellite Link Signal Generator

ATK MISSION RESEARCH & TECHNICAL SERVICES BUSINESS DIVISION PROVIDES UNIQUE TEST SOURCE FOR U.S. NUCLEAR DETECTION SYSTEM PROGRAM

ATK TO PERFORM WORK IN CALIFORNIA AND COLORADO

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced today that its Mission Research & Technical Services (MRTS) business division has been awarded a $2.8 million dollar contract by Sandia National Laboratories to build a unique multi-channel test source for the U.S. Nuclear Detection System (NDS) program, with disturbed channel capabilities. The enhanced testing source substantially expands the scope of earlier modeling and simulation analysis work to include hardware development.

"This multi-channel satellite signal generator contract provides an enhanced nuclear scintillation communications test capability to our important Sandia National Laboratories customer, evolving both system flexibility and test realism," said Arde Bedjanian, vice president and general manager of MRTS. "Beyond these important customer advances, this effort also enhances our advanced scintillation test services capability which is applicable to other related customers," according to Bedjanian.

Options for $1.2 million have been negotiated, but not yet exercised, that would extend the effort through March 2009. Work will be performed at ATK facilities in Santa Barbara, CA and Colorado Springs, CO.

ATK is a $4.0 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 16,500 people in 21 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com/.

Certain information discussed in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although ATK believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among those factors are: changes in governmental spending, budgetary policies and product sourcing strategies; the company's competitive environment; the terms and timing of awards and contracts; and economic conditions. ATK undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For further information on factors that could impact ATK, and statements contained herein, please refer to ATK's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  Media Contact:                               Investor Contact:
  Tracy Imm                                    Steve Wold
  Phone:   410-864-4824                        Phone:   952-351-3056
  E-mail:  tracy.imm@atk.com                   E-mail:  steve.wold@atk.com

SOURCE: Alliant Techsystems

CONTACT: media, Tracy Imm, +1-410-864-4824, tracy.imm@atk.com, or
investors, Steve Wold, +1-952-351-3056, steve.wold@atk.com, both of Alliant
Techsystems

Web site: http://www.atk.com/

From another source(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a4CDLXMEbpes&refer=home)

Alliant Techsystems Inc., the only maker of reusable solid-rocket motors for U.S. space shuttles, won a $1.8 billion contract from NASA for the first stage of the Ares I rocket.

The new contract replaces a temporary agreement in place since last year. The award covers five ground static-test motors, two ground vibration-test articles and four flight-test stages and runs through Dec. 31, 2014, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a statement today.

The Ares I is the rocket that will lift the Orion spacecraft, which will replace the current shuttle fleet, into low Earth orbit. Alliant Chief Executive Officer Daniel Murphy said Aug. 2 he expected the award, and at the time he put the value at more than $1.5 billion.

Edina, Minnesota-based Alliant began work on Ares in April 2006.

Alliant's first-quarter sales grew 16 percent to $958.4 million, including $50 million from work on the Ares program, Murphy said on the call.

Shares of Alliant gained $1 to $107.47 at 4:16 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have risen 38 percent in the past year.

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