Orbital ATK Signs Cooperative Agreement with U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center

The CRADA provides the framework and plan for data exchanges needed to certify Orbital ATK’s Next Generation Launch (NGL) system to carry National Security Space missions.

Orbital ATK is currently in early production of development hardware for NGL. To date, the company has jointly invested with the Air Force more than $200 million to develop the NGL rocket family.

The next phase of the NGL program is expected to begin when the Air Force awards Launch Services Agreements in mid-2018, which would entail full vehicle and launch site development

Plans could change, obviously, but the last bit there seems to confirm that Orbital ATK is only going to build this launch vehicle if they are awarded funding from the Air Force in the upcoming Launch Services Agreements.