Overview

Orbital's space launch vehicles are the industry standard for boosting small payloads to orbit. Our innovative Pegasus® rocket is launched from the company's "Stargazer" L-1011 carrier aircraft and has proven to be the industry's small space launch workhorse, having conducted 40 missions from six different launch sites worldwide since 1990.

Our Taurus® and Minotaur ground-launched rockets combine Pegasus upper stages with either government-supplied or commercially available first-stage rocket motors to boost larger payloads to orbit. Minotaur IV combines decommissioned Peacekeeper rocket motors with proven Orbital avionics and fairings to provide increased lifting capacity for government-sponsored payloads.

With the development of the Antares space launch vehicle, Orbital is extending its capabilities to provide low-cost access to space for medium-class satellites. The inaugural launch of Antares is currently scheduled for 2012 from Wallops Island, Virginia.

Combined, our space launch vehicles have launched over 129 satellites into orbit in the last 21 years

AS9100 and ISO 9001 Registered

Check Out

• Orbital Corporate Overview

• Orbital Launch Vehicle Configurations