Payload Contains First Operational Satellite to Support Combatant Command Operations
TASC, Inc. provided independent mission assurance for the successful June 29 launch of a Minotaur I rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia, carrying the ORS-1 space vehicle.
“This launch deploys a key capability that was urgently needed by U.S. Central Command,” says Pat Talty, senior vice president of Mission Engineering at TASC. “It is the culmination of exceptional work by many teammates, from our partners at the Air Force and Pentagon to those that built the satellite in record time and manage the launch vehicles.”
In addition to mission assurance, the TASC team provided launch site and engineering support for the Minotaur I system and for the government-furnished rocket motors used as the first two stages of the launch vehicle. The Minotaur I launch vehicle used on ORS-1 consists of the first two rocket motor stages from decommissioned Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missiles. Orbital Sciences Corporation, the launch vehicle contractor, provided the third and fourth stages of the Minotaur I launch vehicle, as well as new and upgraded structures, electronics and software.
The U.S. Air Force Space Development and Test Directorate is executing the program for the DOD’s Operationally Responsive Space Office. ORS-1, which was built in just 30 months, is the first satellite in the ORS program and will deliver battlefield awareness supporting U.S. Central Command.
About TASC
Founded in 1966, TASC, Inc., is a leading provider of advanced systems engineering, integration and decision-support services to the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense and civilian agencies of the federal government. With more than 5,000 employees in 40 locations, TASC generates $1.5 billion in annual revenue. For more information and career opportunities, visit our website at www.tasc.com.
