Program description:
Orbital company realizes its plans to serve the medium-class space launch market by implementing the Taurus II (Antares) program.
First of all Taurus II rocket is designed for launchings under the U.S. government and NASA programs on providing low cost, reliable access to space for medium-class payloads. Orbital participates both Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) (commercial cargo delivery to the ISS under the agreement with NASA) and will conduct future NASA science and exploration, commercial and national security space missions. The rocket provides substantial payload performance into a variety of low inclination low-Earth and sun-synchronous orbits and interplanetary trajectories.
Taurus II space launch vehicle lifts off from the eastern shore of the USA at Wallops Island, Virginia.*
YUZHMASH contributes to the program the following: manufacture of the first stage of the Taurus II rocket.
* Orbital Sciences Corporation. http://www.orbital.com/
