**The most comprehensive collection of Shuttle, Ares, Orion and ISS related presentations and mission documentation, plus expansive daily processing documentation and updates are <\/em>available to download on L2<\/em><\/font> **<\/em><\/font><\/u><\/em><\/p>\n <\/u><\/em><\/p>\n Orbital beat out strong competition from dark horse Boeing \u2013 who had a version of their Orion contract bid at the center of their proposal, and other companies such as Spacehab, ATK\/Planetspace and Space Systems\/Loral\/CSI. (See also RpK\u2019s removal).<\/p>\n Orbital\u2019s COTS demonstration mission is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2010. Subject to NASA\u2019s future requirements, Orbital will be prepared to carry out several follow-on operational COTS missions in 2011 and to conduct as many as eight operational ISS cargo flights a year by 2012 and 2013. <\/p>\n The Cygnus spacecraft to be launched aboard the Taurus II rocket will be capable of delivering up to 2,300 kg of cargo to the ISS and will be able to return 1,200 kg of cargo from the ISS to Earth.<\/p>\n \u201dFor NASA, the ability to deliver cargo to the International Space Station with reasonably priced commercial services is part of its long-term plan to rely on American industry for routine Earth-orbit operations, as the space agency focuses on returning astronauts to the Moon and beyond. <\/p>\n \u2018For Orbital, the COTS project is a critical element of the company\u2019s strategy to play an expanded role in human spaceflight programs, including ISS operations and the development and support of NASA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Orion program.\u2019<\/p>\n The company\u2019s design, manufacturing and testing activities related to the Taurus II rocket will be done in Dulles and Chandler, Arizona. Early COTS missions are planned to be launched from NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia\u2019s Eastern Shore, with integrated mission operations conducted from control centers in Dulles and Houston, Texas. Dr. Antonio L. Elias, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Orbital\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Advanced Programs Group, is leading the company-wide team that is developing the Taurus II launch vehicle and the Cygnus spacecraft.<\/p>\n Click here to read Dr Elias\u2019 exclusive \u2013 and ongoing \u2013 Q&A with NASASpaceflight.com readers.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018By serving as an anchor mission for Orbital\u2019s Taurus II rocket, the COTS project will not only benefit NASA\u2019s ISS operations with reliable commercial cargo service once the system is fully operational,\u2019 he noted, \u2018but will also aid NASA\u2019s Earth and space science and planetary exploration programs with lower-cost launches of medium-class satellites.\u2019<\/p>\n Orbital join current COTS contractor Space X, who are continuing to develop their Falcon and Dragon vehicles in time to take up ISS supply, post shuttle retirement.<\/p>\n \u2018NASA plans to get out of low Earth orbit and focus on going back to the moon to prepare explorers for a future voyage to Mars,\u2019 said Rick Gilbrech, associate administrator for NASA\u2019s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. <\/p>\n \u2018Being able to buy safe, reliable and economical service to low Earth orbit will help us achieve our national goals.\u2019<\/p>\n Space X and now Orbital, are tasked with completing milestones In Phase 1, where they will demonstrate one or more of four capabilities: external, unpressurized cargo delivery and disposal; internal, pressurized cargo delivery and disposal; internal, pressurized cargo delivery and return; and an option for crew transportation. <\/p>\n NASA plans to purchase cargo resupply services competitively in Phase 2.<\/p>\n \u2018Our investment in the space transportation industry holds just as much promise for the future as government\u2019s investment in the railroads and airlines produced in the past,\u2019 said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at JSC. <\/p>\n \u2018Like any wise investor would, we chose a transportation provider whose innovative concept is based on solid engineering and a sound business plan.\u2019<\/p>\n *Click here for related Forum Pages*<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The re-award of NASA\u2019s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract \u2013 called after RpK\u2019s failure to reach designated milestones \u2013 has been won by Orbital Sciences Corporation, due to being the \u201cbest, sustainable business case.\u201d At the center of the bid is a new vehicle, OSC\u2019s Taurus II \u2013 a medium class launch vehicle \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41476\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/u><\/em><\/p>\nThis system will consist of a new advanced maneuvering spacecraft called Cygnus, along with several interchangeable modules for pressurized and unpressurized cargo, and will be launched on Orbital\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s new Taurus II medium-lift rocket. <\/p>\n
\n\u2018The COTS project is strategically important to both NASA and Orbital,\u2019 said Mr. David W. Thompson, Orbital\u2019s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe COTS project will provide NASA with a U.S.-produced and -operated automated cargo delivery service for ISS support, to complement Russian, European and Japanese cargo vehicles.<\/p>\n