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ORBIMAGE SELECTED BY NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE TO UPGRADE TRANSPORTABLE GROUND STATION TO RECEIVE HIGH-RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGERY

U.S. Armed Forces Worldwide to Access OrbView-3 Satellite Imagery in Real Time

(DULLES, VA 30 MARCH 1999) - Orbital Imaging Corporation (ORBIMAGE), an affiliate of Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), announced today that it has been selected by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to upgrade the Eagle Vision II transportable satellite ground station for approximately $2.8 million. The upgrade program will enable the U.S. military to receive high-resolution imagery in real time from the company's OrbView-3 satellite, which is scheduled to be launched later this year.

The Eagle Vision II ground station is being developed for the NRO by ERIM International, Inc. and is currently designed to collect and process medium-resolution imagery from the French SPOT and Canadian RadarSat-1 satellites. ORBIMAGE will work with ERIM International to enhance the system to receive and process one-meter resolution panchromatic (black and white) and four-meter resolution multispectral (color) imagery transmitted directly from the OrbView-3 satellite.

The Eagle Vision II program will extend the number of imagery dissemination options available to ORBIMAGE's defense and intelligence customers. The Eagle Vision II satellite ground station is a follow-on system to a unit already in use in Europe. It can be quickly deployed and made operational in remote locations to support national security operations. With access to high-resolution imagery from the OrbView-3 satellite, U.S. military forces around the world will be better equipped to detect and monitor troop deployments and targets of operational interest.

"We are very excited to work with ERIM International to provide this breakthrough capability," said Mr. Joseph K. Dodd, ORBIMAGE's Vice President for Government Programs. "For the first time, satellite imagery for aircrew mission planning and rehearsal capabilities, as well as for topographic maps and intelligence products, will be available in real time to tactical users."

Under a separate contract already established with the U.S. Air Force, ORBIMAGE will operate the Warfighter hyperspectral imaging system on its second high-resolution satellite, OrbView-4. This program will provide U.S. armed forces with imagery that allows for more precise information on the material composition of objects. Together, the Warfighter and Eagle Vision II systems will enable tactical users and other national security customers to directly downlink an unprecedented range of imagery products provided by ORBIMAGE's satellite fleet.

ORBIMAGE is a leading global provider of satellite-delivered Earth imagery services with a constellation of four digital remote sensing satellites. It currently operates the OrbView-1 atmospheric imaging satellite that was launched in 1995, the OrbView-2 ocean and land multi-spectral imaging satellite launched in 1997 and an integrated image receiving, processing and distribution system with 14 active regional ground stations around the world. ORBIMAGE also plans to launch the OrbView-3 high-resolution optical imaging satellite later this year and the companion OrbView-4 high-resolution/hyperspectral imaging satellite next year. In addition, ORBIMAGE recently secured the worldwide distribution rights for the Canadian RadarSat-2 satellite system.

Contact: Barron Beneski, 7034065000, beneski.barron@orbital.com