The merger between satellite and rocket builder Orbital Sciences Corp. and rocket motor builder ATK will create a company whose rockets and satellites depend a lot less on outside contractors than is the case today for Orbital's products, Orbital Chief Executive David W. Thompson said April 29. While not saying so directly, Thompson strongly hinted that ATK will be replacing the Russian-sourced first-stage engine now used on Orbital's Antares medium-lift rocket. In addition, integrating ATK will put in-house the equivalent of 10-20 percent of the cost of a satellite, increasing Orbital's vertical integration there too. Orbital has been looking for a long-term alternative to the AJ-26 engines, which were built in Russia and refurbished by Aerojet Rocketdyne of the United States. Thompson - who will be chief executive of the merged company - told investors in mid-April that Orbital was evaluating both continued use of the AJ-26 and two alternatives - one Russian, one U.S.
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机译：卫星执行长戴维·汤普森（David W. Thompson）4月29日说，卫星和火箭制造商Orbital Sciences Corp.与火箭发动机制造商ATK的合并将创建一家公司，其火箭和卫星对外部承包商的依赖程度要比今天对轨道产品的依赖程度要低得多。汤普森虽然没有直接说出来，但强烈暗示，ATK将取代目前在轨道上的安塔雷斯中型运载火箭上使用的俄罗斯采购的第一级发动机。此外，整合ATK将使内部成本相当于卫星成本的10％至20％，从而也增加了Orbital的垂直整合。 Orbital一直在寻找AJ-26发动机的长期替代产品，AJ-26发动机在俄罗斯制造，并由美国Aerojet Rocketdyne进行了翻新。汤普森（将是合并后的公司的首席执行官）在4月中旬告诉投资者，轨道公司正在评估AJ-26的继续使用和两种替代品的选择-一种是俄罗斯，一种是美国。
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