ORBITAL ROLLS OUT ANTARES ROCKET TO LAUNCH PAD AT WALLOPS ISLAND FOR UPCOMING TEST FLIGHT:
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
ORBITAL ROLLS OUT ANTARES ROCKET TO LAUNCH PAD AT WALLOPS ISLAND FOR UPCOMING
TEST FLIGHT
-- Company Targets April 17 for Inaugural Launch of America's Newest Medium-
Class
Space Launch Vehicle --
(Dulles, VA 6 April 2013) - Early this morning, Orbital Sciences Corporation
(NYSE: ORB) rolled out the first fully integrated Antares(TM) rocket from its
assembly building at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in eastern Virginia in
preparation for its inaugural flight that is scheduled for April 17 at
approximately 5:00 p.m. (EDT). This morning, beginning at about 4:30 a.m., the
Antares rocket was transported about one mile to the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport (MARS) launch pad complex aboard the Transporter/Erector/Launcher
(TEL), a specialized vehicle that also raises the rocket to a vertical position
on the launch pad and serves as a support interface between the rocket and the
launch complex's systems.
"With the completion of the Antares roll out today, we are on a clear path to a
launch date of April 17, provided there are no significant weather disruptions
or major vehicle check-out delays between now and then," said Mr. Michael
Pinkston, Orbital's Antares Program Manager. "By later today, the Antares rocket
will be in a vertical position and fully integrated with the launch mount on the
MARS pad."
The Antares test flight, dubbed the A-ONE mission, is the first of two missions
Orbital is scheduled to conduct in 2013 under its Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services (COTS) Space Act Agreement with NASA. Following a
successful A-ONE launch, Orbital will carry out a full flight demonstration of
its new Antares/Cygnus cargo delivery system to the International Space Station
(ISS) around mid-year. In addition, the company is also scheduled to launch the
first of eight operational cargo resupply missions to the ISS in 2013 under the
Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. All COTS and CRS flights
will originate from NASA's WFF, which is geographically well suited for ISS
missions and can also accommodate launches of scientific, defense and commercial
satellites to other orbits.
The Antares medium-class launch system will provide a major increase in the
payload launch capability that Orbital can provide to NASA, the U.S. Air Force
and other customers. The Antares rocket will launch spacecraft weighing up to
14,000 lbs. into low-Earth orbit, as well as lighter-weight payloads into
higher-energy orbits. Orbital's newest launcher is currently on-ramped to both
the NASA Launch Services-2 and the U.S. Air Force's Orbital/Suborbital Program-
3 contracts, enabling the two largest U.S. government space launch customers to
order Antares for "right-size and right-price" launch services for medium-class
spacecraft.
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 exploration 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 U.S. Government
agencies and laboratories.
More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com
# # #
Contact:
Barron Beneski (703) 406-5528
Public and Investor Relations
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Beneski.barron(at)orbital.com
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Orbital Sciences Corporation via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1690926]
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 06.04.2013 - 22:08 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 246508
Anzahl Zeichen: 4997
contact information:
Town:
Dulles
Kategorie:
Business News
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