Photos: ATK’s Liberty Rocket & Private Spaceship

Liberty Rocket Composite Crew Capsule

ATK

Rocket manufacturer ATK will use a composite space capsule as the vehicle to launch atop its new Liberty rocket. The first manned flight is set for 2015.

Liberty Rocket Concept for Commercial Launches

ATK

The new Liberty launch vehicle, which draws on parts of NASA's cancelled Ares I rocket and Europe's Ariane 5 rocket, will use existing infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center--including, possibly, the mobile launch platform shown in this illustration.

Liberty Rocket Launches Toward Space

ATK

An artist's illustration of ATK's new Liberty rocket launching a private space capsule into low-Earth orbit.

ATK's New Manned Space Capsule

ATK

The Liberty Spacecraft includes a Composite Crew Module, which ATK built at its composite facility in Iuka, Mississippi.

ATK Liberty Rocket Test in DM-3

ATK

The five-segment solid rocket motor that comprises Liberty’s first stage has successfully completed three static tests at ATK’s facility in Promontory, Utah.

Liberty Rocket Launches Toward Space

ATK

An artist's illustration of ATK's new Liberty rocket launching a private space capsule into low-Earth orbit.

Liberty Launch System's New Cargo Pod

PRNewsFoto/ATK

The private Liberty launch system will include a pressurized pod that can carry 5,100 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station.

Liberty Rocket Graphic By ATK and Astrium

ATK

The Liberty launch vehicle combines the proven systems from NASA's space shuttle fleet and Europe's Ariane 5 expendable rocket. This graphic shows how they combine into the new ATK-Astrium Liberty rocket.

Ariane 5 Rocket Launch

Astrium

The Ariane 5, a component of the new Liberty rocket, has had 47 consecutive successful launches to date.

Installing Insulation in the New Liberty Rocket

ATK

The Liberty first stage incorporates advanced new materials in the insulation and liner, resulting in higher performance, ATK officials say.

Ariane 5's Vulcain Engine

Safran/Snecma

The Vulcain 2, built by Safran/Snecma, serves as the second stage engine for ATK's Liberty rocket.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.