ORBITAL'S TAURUS ROCKET SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SATELLITE ON MARCH 12
Company's Ground-Launched Rocket Extends Mission Success
(Dulles, VA 13 March 2000) -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that its ground-launched Taurus® rocket successfully boosted the U.S. Department of Energy's Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) satellite into its targeted orbit in a mission that originated from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), California on Sunday, March 12. The MTI mission was the fifth launch of Orbital's Taurus rocket since its debut in 1994, all of which resulted in successful satellite deployments. It was also Orbital's nineteenth consecutive successful space launch, including missions carried out by the company's Taurus, Pegasus® and OSP/Minotaur rockets.
On Sunday morning, March 12, at 1:29 a.m. (PST), the Taurus first stage rocket motor ignited, lifting the rocket off launch pad 576E at VAFB and commencing its flight into low-Earth orbit. Just over 12 minutes later, Taurus accurately deployed the MTI satellite into a Sun-synchronous orbit about 310 miles, or 575 kilometers, above the Earth, inclined at 97.4 degrees to the equator. A team of satellite engineers has established initial communications with the MTI spacecraft and preliminary information indicates that it is operating as planned in the early stages of its mission.
"Our Taurus program team did another outstanding job with the launch of the MTI satellite. They added another chapter to the rocket's unblemished record of successful missions," said Mr. Ronald J. Grabe, Orbital's Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Launch Systems Group. "With the accurate deployment of the spacecraft now confirmed, we wish the MTI satellite team the best of luck with their important mission."
About the MTI Satellite
The MTI satellite carries a sophisticated telescope that collects images of the Earth, during the day and at night, in 15 spectral bands, ranging from the visible to long-wave infrared. The unique imaging instrument was designed and built by a government and industry team led by Sandia National Laboratories and was calibrated in a special facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. It gives the satellite the ability to "see" reflected and thermally radiated electromagnetic waves not visible to the human eye with performance parameters previously achievable only in laboratory settings. To learn more about the satellite and its mission, visit the "news" section at http://www.sandia.gov on the Internet.
About the Taurus Rocket
Orbital developed the ground-launched Taurus vehicle to provide a cost-effective, reliable means of launching satellites weighing up to 3,000 pounds into low-Earth orbit, or up to 800 pounds into geosynchronous Earth orbit. Taurus incorporates advanced structural and avionics technology proven on Pegasus and other operational launch systems. It is also designed for easy transportability, offering customers rapid-response launches from a wide range of locations. Including its debut flight in 1994, Orbital's Taurus rocket has now carried out five space missions, all of which have been successful. Prior to the MTI mission, the most recent Taurus launch occurred on December 20, 1999, when the rocket deployed two satellites - the KOMPSAT satellite for the Republic of Korea and the ACRIMSAT satellite for NASA.
About Orbital
Orbital is one of the largest space technology and satellite services companies in the world, with 1999 revenues of about $900 million. The company, which is headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, employs over 5,200 people at its major facilities in the United States, Canada and several overseas locations. Orbital is the world's leading manufacturer of low-cost space systems and products, including satellites, launch vehicles, electronics and sensors, satellite ground systems and software, and satellite-based navigation and communications products. Through its ORBCOMM and ORBIMAGE affiliates and ORBNAV subsidiary, Orbital is also a pioneering operator of satellite-based networks that provide data communications, high-resolution imagery and automotive information services to customers all around the world.
Contact: Barron Beneski, 7034065000, beneski.barron@orbital.com
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