Senator Webb visits Orbital Sciences Corp.

United States Senator Jim Webb (D-Va.) visited Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Sciences Corp., last week to gain a more complete understanding of the new classes of rockets (including the Taurus-2), satellites and other space technologies at the Virginia corporate headquarters and other locations in the United States.

Orbital Sciences Corporation will commence commercial orbital space launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Va. in less than 12-months. Webb's visit is further evidence that the Virginia Congressional delegation is becoming more active in supporting commercial space launch developments in Virginia. Last week, Congressman Rick Boucher (D-9th Va.) was among those urging to slow the House version of the NASA authorization bill in meetings with Congressman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.).

Pictured above, Webb, [center] speaks with David Thompson, Orbital's Chairman and CEO [left], and Antonio Elias, Orbital's Executive VP and General Manager for Advanced Programs [right], in front of the Glory satellite, which Orbital is building and launching for NASA. The Glory satellite, which is now scheduled for a November 2010 launch, will help collect data on the properties and distributions of aerosols in the Earth's atmosphere and collect data on solar irradiance for the long-term Earth climate record.

Webb serves on the Arms Services and Foreign Affairs Committees of the United States Senate with both having measured interest in space policy. The senior Virginia Senator is considering a visit to the Wallops Island Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in December.

The top photo shows actual construction underway for the Taurus II commercial space launch pad and surrounding facilities including what may be the tallest water tower in the world today. The bottom photo shows the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF)superstructure in place — the HIF is nearly a football field long and where the Taurus II Taurus II stages will be integrated and mated to the payloads. The main bay area is about 100 feet wide and over 60 feet high, and is designed to accommodate the processing of two Taurus II vehicles at a time.