Company Expects to Conduct 8 Launches Carrying 20 Tons of Cargo Over 2011-2015 Period
NASA to be Anchor Customer for Company's Taurus II Medium-Class Space Launch Vehicle
DULLES, Va.
"We are very appreciative of the trust NASA has placed with us to
provide commercial cargo transportation services to and from the
International Space Station, beginning with our demonstration flight
scheduled in late 2010," said Mr.
To carry out the cargo services missions, Orbital will use the integrated system it is currently developing under the COTS cooperative research and development program with NASA. The company's COTS system is based on Orbital's new Cygnus(TM) maneuvering space vehicle and will be the anchor customer for the new Taurus IITM medium-lift launch vehicle, now under development. Cygnus is made up of a service module, containing the vehicle's propulsion, power systems and avionics, and one of three types of specialized cargo modules. Orbital's design accommodates pressurized, unpressurized and return cargo modules, offering NASA flexibility in its cargo planning.
"CRS represents a dramatic departure from NASA's traditional contracting
practices that will be greatly beneficial to both the space agency and
the nation's industrial base," said Dr.
Leading up to the first flight of Orbital's system, the company has
begun preparations for its CRS-related production and testing activities
over the next 18 months at its Dulles,
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.
CONTACT:Orbital Sciences Corporation Barron Beneski Public and Investor Relations 703-406-5528 beneski.barron@orbital.com Source:Orbital Sciences Corporation