Orbital Awarded $40 M for Minotaur Space Launch Vehicles

- Two Minotaur IV and One Minotaur I Rockets Ordered for Missions in 2010 and 2011 to Support the Air Forces New ORS Office
- A Total of 24 Minotaur Vehicles Have Now Been Ordered Under OSP Contracts

(Dulles, VA., April 15, 2008) -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that the U.S. Air Force Space and Missiles Systems Center (SMC) has ordered three additional Minotaur space launch vehicles in support of the new Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) office. The Program Office responsible for Minotaur vehicles is the Launch Test Squadron (LTS) of the Space Development and Test Wing (SDTW) at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. The latest order by the Air Force for Minotaur vehicles, which is valued at approximately $40 million, consists of two Minotaur IV vehicles and one Minotaur I vehicle for launches that will take place in 2010-2011. These are the first fully operational launch vehicles procured specifically for ORS since the Program Office was created in May 2007, demonstrating the Air Force's confidence Orbital's reliable, cost-effective and responsive family of Minotaur rockets.

"We are once again honored to be called upon by the Air Force to carry out these important launches to help further the Operationally Responsive Space initiative that will play a critical role in America's ability to respond quickly in a time of crisis," said Mr. Lou Amorosi, Orbital's Vice President and Minotaur Program Manager. "Building on the success of the past ORS-related TacSat-2 space launch and NFIRE target vehicle missions, we are eager to support the Air Force's efforts to provide our country with quick-response space system capabilities."

Source : Orbital Sciences Corp.

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