Orbital Sciences Corporation
announced today that the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems
Center recently awarded the company a seven-year task order contract to
provide target vehicles and related support for the Sounding Rockets Program-2
(SRP-2).
Orbital was one of four companies selected for contracts that
qualify them to compete for up to $96 million in launch services under the
U.S. Government’s indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity procurement
approach.
Orbital’s Launch Systems Group (LSG), which is responsible for the
company’s space and suborbital launch vehicle design, production and
operations, will carry out the SRP-2 activities at its engineering and
manufacturing facility in Chandler, Arizona.

The Air Force’s Sounding Rockets Program supplies target vehicles that are
used to test interceptor missiles and are also used by other U.S. Department
of Defense agencies for special-purpose missions.
The SRP-2 contract is a
follow-on to the Air Force’s SRP-1 contract under which Orbital competed for
and won task orders to provide nine Navy Theater Wide (NTW) target vehicles,
the Quick Reaction Launch Vehicle-1 (QRLV-1) and the atmospheric intercept
test-1 (ait-1) vehicle.

“This contract places us in a strong competitive position to win
additional business in the suborbital arena, especially given our successful
efforts under the SRP-1 contract in securing new tasks and executing
missions,” said Mr. Ronald J. Grabe, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and
General Manager of its Launch Systems Group.

LSG’s suborbital rockets frequently combine U.S. Government-supplied
surplus ICBM assets with new commercial boosters to meet military requirements
in a cost-effective, low-risk manner.
These rockets are widely known for
their reliability and accuracy.
Orbital has successfully conducted 101 of 105
suborbital missions over the last 18 years, achieving a 96% success rate.
Orbital’s most recent suborbital launch occurred in October, when the company
successfully launched a target vehicle to test the Patriot missile defense
system.

Orbital is one of the largest space technology and satellite services
companies in the world, with 1999 total enterprise revenues (including
revenues from unconsolidated affiliates) of approximately $915 million.
The
company, headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, employs about 4,500 people at
major facilities in the United States, Canada and several overseas locations.

Orbital is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of low-cost space
systems, including satellites, launch vehicles, electronics and sensors,
satellite ground systems and related digital infrastructure.
Its Magellan
subsidiary is a pioneer in satellite-based navigation and communications
products for consumer and industrial markets.
Through its ORBCOMM and
ORBIMAGE affiliates and ORBNAV subsidiary, Orbital is also a major operator of
satellite-based networks that provide data communications, high-resolution
imagery and automotive information services to customers all around the world.
More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com .