On April 29, 2014, Orbital Sciences announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Alliant Techsystems to combine Orbital and ATK's Aerospace and Defense (A&D) Groups to create a $4.5 billion (combined calendar year 2013 annual revenue), 13000-person company. The new company will be called Orbital ATK, Inc., and will serve U.S. and international customers with leading positions in the markets for space launch vehicles and propulsion systems, tactical missiles and defense electronics, satellites and space systems, armament systems and ammunition, and commercial and military aircraft structures and related components
On rajoute à cela qu'Antares/Cygnus est indispensable pour que deux solutions d'accès au LEO soient opérationnelles ... et on se doute que les lobbyistes ont leurs entrées auprès des élus qui savent faire la part entre les positions de principe, et la réalité bien comprise des intérêts du pays..