Orbital Successfully Launches Medium-Range Target for Missile Defense Test; Mission Supports U.S. Navy's Aegis BMD System.DULLES, Va. -- Orbital Sciences Corporation 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. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :ORB) announced today that it successfully launched a medium-range target (MRT-2) vehicle on June 22 under the Lockheed Martin Targets and Countermeasures Prime Contract with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA (1) (Monochrome Display Adapter) The first IBM PC monochrome video display standard for text. Due to its lack of graphics, MDA cards were often replaced with Hercules cards, which provided both text and graphics. See PC display modes and Hercules Graphics. ). The MRT-2 vehicle served as an intercept target for the Navy's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD BMD In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Bermudian Dollar. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. ) system and was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility Located in the State of Hawaii on the western shores of Kauai, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) at Barking Sands (IATA: BKH, ICAO: PHBK) is the world's largest instrumented, multi-dimensional testing and training missile range. (PMRF) on Kauai, Hawaii. The target vehicle flew a trajectory northwest of Kauai and was intercepted by the Navy's Standard Missile (SM-3) interceptor system before reentering the Earth's atmosphere. The MRT-2 was the second of several medium-range targets Orbital is prepared to launch under contract to Lockheed Martin in support of the Aegis BMD test program. The MRT MRT, n manual resistance technique, a treatment method used during the acute and recovery phases to relieve pain and rehabilitate the body's tissues and muscles. target is also part of Lockheed Martin's Flexible Target Family (FTF), currently under development for responsive and cost-effective missile defense system Noun 1. missile defense system - naval weaponry providing a defense system missile defence system naval weaponry - weaponry for warships testing. "We are very pleased to provide another successful target launch and presentation for our immediate Lockheed Martin customer and the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Aegis BMD program," said Mr. Ron Wiley, Senior Vice President of Suborbital Targets Programs. "This target launch demonstrated some key system upgrades that make it an even more flexible and capable product for MDA system testing and we're excited with the positive results." Orbital originally developed the MRT multiple-launch-mode target vehicle over a two-year period under contract to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) is a specialized major command within the United States Army. The SMDC is an organization composed of five components:
Orbital is one of the country's most experienced developers and operators of missile defense-related launch vehicles. The company supports virtually all of the country's major missile defense programs with cost-effective and highly reliable target vehicles. In addition to the Aegis BMD system, Orbital's target vehicles are used to test MDA's Ground-based Midcourse Defense Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) is a component of the national missile defense strategy of the United States administered by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Previously known as National Missile Defense (NMD), the name was changed in 2002 to differentiate it from other missile system (GMD), the U.S. Army's Patriot PAC-3 and THAAD systems. Orbital also produces the new "Coyote" ramjet-powered sea-skimming supersonic target vehicle for the U.S. Navy's ship self-defense systems. About Orbital Orbital develops and manufactures small space and rocket systems for commercial, military, and civil government customers. The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-orbit, geosynchronous and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators. More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com |
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