Orbital and Rocketplane Kistler partner to support NASA's COTS program

OKLAHOMA CITY, 28 July 2006. Rocketplane Kistler (RpK) and Orbital Sciences Corporation have entered into a strategic relationship to support the NASA COTS program and other applications of RpK's space transportation system.

Orbital will join the RpK industrial contractor team with supporting responsibility for program management, systems integration, launch operations, and safety and mission assurance. As part of this agreement, Orbital also plans to make a strategic investment in RpK.

Rocketplane Kistler and its K-1 space transportation system has been selected as one of the six finalists in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. RpK has proposed using its fully reusable K-1 to provide delivery and return of cargo and science payloads to and from the International Space Station. The K-1 is in an advanced state of development and will be capable of providing end-to-end ISS servicing beginning as early as 2009.