AJ26 Engine Test to be Viewed by Bolden

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and executives from Orbital Scinces Corporation and Aerojet will be at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center Monday, February 7, 2011, 5 PM EST, to view a flight acceptance test of Aerojet's AJ26 rocket engine for the Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Taurus II space launch vehicle.

When flight acceptance testing on the AJ26 engine is complete, it will be delivered to Orbital at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport launch site on Wallops Island, Virginia (SpaceIsland) for integration with the rocket's first stage.

NASA has contracted with Orbital to provide eight cargo missions to the International Space Station. The first is scheduled for early 2012 with a demonstration flight in late 2011. NASA is investing with private industry to develop safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation capabilities that will spur the development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles that will stimulate the commercial sector and reduce dependence on foreign providers.