-- Company to Provide Both the Launch Vehicle and Satellite for Important NASA Mission --
DULLES, Va.Feb. 18, 2009--
Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE:ORB), one of the world’s leading
space technology companies, today announced that the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will once again rely on the
company to provide both the satellite and launch vehicle for an
important upcoming space science mission that utilizes highly productive
and cost effective smaller space systems.
Orbital announced today that NASA recently selected its Pegasus XL
rocket to provide the launch service for the Nuclear Spectroscopic
Telescope Array (NuSTAR) space science satellite in 2011. Orbital was
selected in 2007 by NASA to design, manufacture and test the NuSTAR
satellite, which is now in production at the company’s Dulles, VA
satellite design, manufacturing and testing facilities. The launch will
originate from Kwajalein Island near the equator in the mid-Pacific
Ocean area in order to achieve a six degree inclination orbit.
“We are very pleased that NASA continues to recognize the value of our
extremely reliable satellites and launch vehicles,” said Mr. David W.
Thompson, Orbital’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “With this new
Pegasus contract, Orbital will continue its long-standing support of
NASA science missions through 2011.”
Orbital has provided both the satellite and launch vehicle for numerous
previous NASA missions that have provided scientists with critical data
about the Earth’s environment and the solar system. The most recent
example of this dual capability occurred in late 2008 when Orbital
launched the company-built IBEX aboard its Pegasus rocket. Other
examples of the pairing of an Orbital satellite and rocket for a NASA
science mission include the AIM, SORCE and GALEX projects, all of which
were launched aboard Pegasus rockets. In the near future, Orbital will
reprise its role as the satellite and launch vehicle provider to NASA
when it launches the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellite later
this month, which will provide a global map of the Earth’s carbon cycle,
and the Glory satellite, which will provide data about atmospheric
aerosols, later this year. Both satellites will be launched aboard
Orbital’s Taurus XL rockets.
About the Pegasus Rocket
Pegasus is the world’s leading launch system for the deployment of small
satellites into low-Earth orbit. Its patented air-launch system, in
which the rocket is launched from beneath Orbital’s “Stargazer” L-1011
carrier aircraft over the ocean, reduces cost and provides customers
with unparalleled flexibility to operate from virtually anywhere on
Earth with minimal ground support requirements. It is the world’s only
small space launch vehicle that has been certified with NASA’s Payload
Risk Category 3, which the space agency reserves for its highest value
space missions. The NuSTAR mission will be the program’s 41st
launch in its mission history.
About the NuSTAR Satellite
The NuSTAR program is being led by Principal Investigator Dr. Fiona
Harrison of Caltech. The astrophysics mission of the NuSTAR observatory
is to use high-energy X-rays to detect black holes and other energetic
phenomena in the universe. It is scheduled for launch in 2011 and is
designed to bridge the gap in astrophysics missions between the 2009
launch of the Wide-field Infrared Surveyor Explorer and the 2013 launch
of the James Webb Space Telescope. The NuSTAR satellite is part of the
NASA’s Small Explorer series of smaller-sized spacecraft designed to
carry out highly productive Earth and space science investigations.
The NuSTAR satellite is based on Orbital’s flight-proven LEOStar-2
design. It will be the sixth LEOStar-2 satellite built for NASA Earth
and space science missions, joining the SORCE, GALEX, and AIM spacecraft
that are in orbit providing valuable scientific data, and the OCO and
Glory programs that will be launched in 2009. The NuSTAR satellite,
which will weigh just over 800 lbs. at launch, will be deployed into a
low-Earth orbit approximately 340 miles above the Earth, inclined at six
degrees to the equator.
About Orbital
Orbital develops and manufactures small- and medium-class rockets and
space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers.
The company’s primary products are satellites and launch vehicles,
including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary
spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense
missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other
missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into
orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and
target vehicles. Orbital also provides satellite subsystems and
space-related technical services to government agencies and laboratories.
More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com
Note to editors: High resolution photos of the Pegasus rocket and
NuSTAR satellite are available on Orbital’s web site at:
http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/ImagesMultimedia/Images/SpaceLaunch/index.shtml
http://www.orbital.com/images/High/SAT_SCI%20TECH_NuSTAR_high.jpg
Source: Orbital Sciences Corporation
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528
Public
and Investor Relations
beneski.barron@orbital.com
