Company Celebrates Perfect 10-For-10 Record Over Last Six Years

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced Monday that its Minotaur I space launch vehicle successfully delivered six small scientific satellites into low-Earth orbit in a mission that originated from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), CA on April 14. The space mission, known in the United States as the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC), consists of an array of six small-sized remote-sensing satellites, collectively called the FORMOSAT-3 program by its owner and operator, the National Space Program Office (NSPO) in Taiwan.

The mission originated Friday evening at approximately 6:40 pm PDT, when the Minotaur rocket ignited its first stage motor and lifted-off from its West Coast launch site. Approximately 10 minutes later, the Minotaur I's fourth stage and satellites were placed into their targeted orbit, approximately 500 kilometers above the Earth's surface, inclined at 72 degrees to the equator. Over the next nine minutes, the six satellites were separated from the rocket's final stage one spacecraft at a time.

The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites were developed, manufactured and tested under a collaborative project between Taiwan's civilian space agency, the National Space Program Office; several agencies of the US Government, including the National Science Foundation and the US Air Force; and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). NSPO and UCAR selected Orbital in 2001 to jointly develop and manufacture the six spacecraft, which are based on Orbital's MicroStarTM product line.

Orbital reports that during the satellites' first several days in space, the initial satellite in-orbit checkout process has been progressing as planned. Once that's completed, the satellites will be maneuvered to form a global constellation that will collect data on the Earth's atmosphere that can be used to improve weather forecasting, climate monitoring and understanding of the ionosphere.

The Minotaur launch was the tenth consecutive successful flight of the Minotaur family of space and suborbital launch vehicles since the program's first flight in January 2000. Minotaur I space launch vehicles have put a total of 20 satellites into orbit in five fully successful missions. Minotaur II rockets have also carried out five target vehicle missions in support of US missile defense programs.

Friday's launch was also the fifth successful flight of the Minotaur I space launch vehicle. In addition, the launch demonstrated two "firsts," including being the first space launch vehicle to use a new low-cost, lightweight Orbital Flight Computer that was developed by the company in-house.

The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC launch vehicle also incorporated a low-cost telemetry subsystem that utilizes the US Government's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The TDRSS telemetry system was flown on the Minotaur vehicle to provide real-time telemetry once the launch vehicle was beyond the range of ground-based receivers.

FMI: www.orbital.com