Alliant Techsystems has announced that it has been awarded a $26.1 million contract by the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) for the design, fabrication, installation and testing of the Space Threat Assessment Testbed (STAT) System.

STAT will create a realistic space environment to perform developmental and early operational testing of space hardware for the Department of Defense, the National Reconnaissance Office and other federal agencies.

Key features of STAT include the capability to replicate complex natural space environments simulating Low Earth Orbit and Geosynchronous Orbits. In addition, STAT will simulate key man-made threats and provide a real-time connection capability that allows for involvement of ground station hardware, software and operators in the test and evaluation process.

"STAT capabilities will provide a new integrated, real-time simulation of complex space environments to enable technology maturation and performance verification necessary to advance technologies without incurring the cost and schedule of a space flight," said Bill Kasting, Vice President and General Manager of ATK's Integrated Systems, headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA.

STAT will also lay the foundation for near real-time connectivity to a satellite operations center, allowing the Air Force to perform integrated system testing and training, while also assisting in the development of tactics, techniques, and procedures for future space operations.

Overall program management and systems engineering will be done at ATK's facility in Goleta, Calif., by its world-class team of science and engineering experts skilled in space environments and effects, testing of materials and structures, test capabilities development, spacecraft operations, and mission planning.

ATK facilities in Logan, Utah and Tullahoma, Tenn., will also contribute to the project. ATK Logan will coordinate and execute the design, fabrication, installation and testing of the STAT system, while ATK Tullahoma will handle onsite assembly, testing and checkout. Work is scheduled for completion in early 2013.