Stratolaunch had initially tapped Dynetics to build a mating and integration system for a liquid-fueled rocket the company had planned to buy from Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif. But SpaceX and Stratolaunch parted ways last year, and Dulles, Va.-based Orbital came onboard with a different rocket design that does not require Dynetics hardware.

 

Orbital will be providing that now, as it will be significantly descoped since they are going with solids" for the rocket, said David King, the former Marshall Space Flight Center director who is now executive vice president of Dynetics. King said Dynetics will still provide some technical and programmatic support for Stratolaunch.