ATK to Exhibit STEM Capabilities at USA Science & Engineering Festival

ARLINGTON, Va., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ATK ATK will exhibit at the 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival April 25-27, 2014 in Washington, D.C. ATK will be located at Booth 1959 in Hall B of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Visitors to the ATK booth will have an opportunity to interact with ATK scientists and engineers at various displays that demonstrate the company's capabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Additionally, ATK employee and retired NASA astronaut Brian Duffy will speak to attendees about his adventures in space at the NASA Stage on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and on Sunday, April 27, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

"ATK's mission is to deliver affordable innovation to our customers, but we also have a responsibility to help inspire the next generation of innovators and explorers," said Mark DeYoung, ATK's president and CEO. "This Festival is a great opportunity for students to interact with ATK's scientists and engineers and learn about the many real-world applications of STEM."

Duffy, a former NASA astronaut and retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force, has flown four Space Shuttle missions, spending more than 40 days in space. He currently works on the ATK team that is providing the boosters for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). SLS provides an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond Earth's orbit and enables humans to visit an asteroid and eventually Mars.

"My hope is that sharing stories of my time in space will inspire young people to reach for the stars themselves," said Duffy. "The next generation of astronauts will be the ones to take mankind's first steps on Mars, but they will need the skills in these critical STEM fields in order to do that."

ATK will exhibit five hands-on displays at the Festival, including:

• "Fly Me to the Moon" – participants can launch rockets under constant force with variable payloads
• "See the World in a Different Light" – students will receive an overview of infrared (IR) sensing technology and its applications to engineering
• "Beam Me Up" – attendees will learn about thermal expansion changes through a carnival-style game
• "The Science of Ammunition" – participants will learn how ATK's sporting ammunition is manufactured to be accurate and precise
• "See the Invisible" – students will receive a demonstration of the advanced technology of laser rangefinders

The event is the nation's largest science festival, with more than 3,000 hands-on activities and 100 live stage performances. Event organizers expect more than 250,000 people to attend this year.

Media interested in more information about ATK at the Science & Engineering Festival may contact ATK's on-site media representative, Rocky Krivijanski, at rocky.krivijanski@atk.com.

ATK focuses on fostering student interest and achievement in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ATK's partnerships encompass local, regional and national initiatives to engage students in becoming scientifically literate and prepared to enter the workforce as leaders and problem-solvers. For more information on ATK's STEM efforts, visit www.atk.com/tag/promoting-stem or read the company's Corporate Social Responsibility report at http://www.atk.com/corporate-social-responsibility. 

ATK is an aerospace, defense and commercial products company with operations in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atk or on Twitter@ATK.

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