Balance Sheet Accounts and Supplemental Disclosures (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 Contract	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Receivables [Abstract]
Retainages due upon contract completion	$ 806,000	$ 354,000
Receivables, net	583,518,000	499,222,000
Percentage of Commercial Resupply Svcs Contract Launch Delivery	25.00%
Number of Commercial Resupply Svcs contract missions	8
Receivables pertaining to the commercial resupply services contract	335,000,000	277,000,000
Revenue from Commercial Resupply Svcs contract inception to date	1,300,000,000
Contract value of Commercial Resupply Svcs contract	1,900,000,000
Unbilled receivables and retainages excluding CRS contract	93.00%
Percentage of receivables related to contracts with the U.S. Government (in hundredths)	90.00%	91.00%
Receivables from non-U.S. customers	14,700,000	34,100,000
Incentive fees due incrementally	9,900,000	8,700,000
Period of incentive fees due (in years)	15
Period of performance criteria (in years)	15
Potential refund if performance criteria are not met	16,700,000
Inventory [Abstract]
Inventories	61,675,000	61,251,000
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	504,432,000	473,779,000
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(258,372,000)	(222,419,000)
Property, plant and equipment, net	246,060,000	251,360,000
Proceeds from disposition of property and equipment		25,600,000
Depreciation expense	40,800,000	36,600,000	32,000,000
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	75,261,000
Goodwill adjustment	4,000,000
Balance at end of period	71,260,000	75,261,000
Accounts Payable and Accrued expenses [Abstract]
Contract related accruals	147,689,000	169,146,000
Employee compensation and benefits related liabilities	78,024,000	77,241,000
Accounts Payable	50,650,000	4,037,000
Other	5,268,000	6,689,000
Total	281,631,000	257,113,000
Cash flow supplemental financial information [Abstract]
Interest paid	4,040,000	6,733,000	4,158,000
Income taxes paid	11,480,000	2,699,000	2,242,000
Acquired Technology [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net	4,500,000	5,200,000
Amortization expense	700,000	700,000	700,000
Launch Vehicles [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at end of period	10,310,000
Satellites and Space Systems [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at end of period	51,837,000
Advanced Space Programs [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at end of period	9,113,000
Land [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	10,656,000	10,656,000
Buildings and Leasehold Improvements [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	88,390,000	85,803,000
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	337,737,000	298,082,000
Assets under Construction [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	38,030,000	45,928,000
Software and Other [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	29,619,000	33,310,000
Billed [Member]
Receivables [Abstract]
Receivables, net	68,474,000	59,496,000
Unbilled [Member]
Receivables [Abstract]
Receivables, net	$ 514,238,000	$ 439,372,000