Orbital Sciences Corporation announced today that it successfully launched two medium range target vehicles in a one-week period that supported the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Critical Measurements Program, Campaign 4 (CMP-4). The launches, both of which originated from Wake Island, located in the central Pacific region, took place on September 29 and October 6. Orbital’s role in the test was to supply the boost vehicle, integrate the mission payload that was supplied by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratories and conduct launch operations as contracted by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Orbital’s Launch Systems Group in Chandler, AZ led the company’s participation in the program.
“We are very proud to have successfully carried out another two target vehicle missions, adding to our extensive experience of supporting the country’s missile defense effort,” said Mr. Ronald J. Grabe, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Launch Systems Group. “These missions were of particular significance as important data collection opportunities for U.S. missile defense systems. They also demonstrated several new boost vehicle subsystems that will support future missile defense target systems.”
As one of the most experienced U.S. suppliers and operators of suborbital boosters and anti-ship cruise missile targets, Orbital’s launch vehicles are used to test many of the country’s missile defense systems. In addition to the Critical Measurements Program, Orbital supplies target vehicles for MDA’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense System (GMDS), U.S. Navy’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and the U.S. Army’s Patriot (PAC-3) System.
Orbital is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of affordable space systems for commercial, civil government and military customers. The company’s primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including geostationary and low-orbit spacecraft for communications, remote sensing and scientific missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense boosters that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators.
