ATK's Liberty rocket hopes to launch in 2015

In article ,
says...

Jeff Findley wrote:

Because ATK builds large, segmented, SRB's and is desperately looking
for a reason to keep building them.

Is there no market left for normal SRB *bosters* ? Airane 5 uses SRB
boosters, doesn't it ?

It doesn't use the size that the shuttle used, not even close.


WOuldn't it be much simpler to strap on 2 smaller ATK SRBs to an Ariane
5 core instead of stacking the ariane 5 on top of a very long fire
cracker made by ATK ?

Why would ATK or Ariannespace for that matter be interested in doing that?


If is it blatantly obvious to so many that SRB as main engines are not
really workable, how come ATK is still pushing for this ? Is this just
some "pork" work because they get funding from NASA ?

Yes.



And if SRBs don't have much future, why isn't ATK recycling itself to
use its experience to build liquid fueld rockets instead ?


Because that's a completely different market, and no pork is available that
way.

You snipped the reference to JF when quoting, so now it looks like
you're replying to me instead of him.

I've wanted NASA to stop using large segmented solids for quite some
time. I wouldn't shead a tear if that part of their business simply
disappeared.

Jeff
--
" Ares 1 is a prime example of the fact that NASA just can't get it
up anymore... and when they can, it doesn't stay up long. "
- tinker