Orbital Sciences Corporation

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Orbital Sciences Corporation
Type Public (NYSE: ORB)
Founded 1982
Headquarters Dulles, Virginia
Key people David W. Thompson, CEO
J.R. Thompson, COO
Garrett E. Pierce, CFO
Industry Aerospace and Defense
Products Space Launch Vehicles, Missile Defense Systems, Satellites and Related Systems, Advanced Space Systems, Space Technical Services, Transportation Management Systems
Revenue $703.45M USD (FY 2005)
Employees 2,900 (2006)
Divisions Launch Systems Group
Space Systems Group
Advanced Programs Group
Transportation Management Systems
Website www.orbital.com

Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC, though commonly referred to as Orbital) is a Dulles, Virginia company which specializes in satellite launch and manufacture. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems. Orbital formerly owned ORBIMAGE (now GeoEye) and the Magellan line of GPS receivers, though they are now divested (the latter to Thales). Orbital's NYSE ticker symbol is ORB. This company should not be confused with the Australian Orbital.

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[edit] History

Orbital was founded in 1982 by David Thompson, Bruce Ferguson and Scott Webster. In 1990, the company successfully carried out eight space missions, highlighted by the initial launch of the Pegasus rocket, the world's first privately-developed space launch vehicle. In 2006 Orbital conducted its 500th mission since the company’s founding.

[edit] Orbital Products

[edit] Satellite launch vehicles

[edit] Experimental vehicles

  • X-34 reusable launch vehicle demonstrator

[edit] National and theater missile defense

  • Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) for the Army's Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
  • Kinetic Energy Interceptors (KEI)
  • Ballistic target vehicles
  • Suborbital rocket testbeds

[edit] GEO Satellites

STAR 2 platform
At its Dulles, Virginia plant Orbital builds medium-sized spacecraft based on the company's STAR 2 platform. Both payloads of a recent Ariane 5 launch — Optus D2 and Intelsat 11 were built on the STAR 2 platform.[1]

[edit] LEO satellites

[edit] Planetary probes

[edit] Client Countries

[edit] Other

[edit] Launch Sites

Orbital's launch vehicles have been staged from many sites worldwide. These include:


[edit] Space Systems Group

[June 6, 2001] Orbital's Space Systems Group designs, manufactures and supports the operation of low-orbit and geosynchronous orbit satellites and related spacecraft systems. During the last five years, SSG has successfully developed, built, tested and deployed 46 satellites; the group currently has 15 additional satellites under design or in production.[citation needed] SSG also provides space-related technical services to NASA, the Department of Defense, and other U.S. Government agencies. SSG currently employs approximately 1,000 people and generated revenues of over $200 million in 2000.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Arianespace boosts Intelsat 11 and Optus D2 into orbit. Arianespace (2007-10-05).
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[edit] External links

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