[Satellite Today 10-13-08] Orbital Sciences Corp. has completed final testing on the SES New Skies NSS-9 commercial communications satellite, the company announced Oct. 13. 
    Orbital said its engineering team completed all pre-shipment procedures for the NSS-9 satellite, which will be stored at the company’s Dulles, Va. facilities until the company is notified of the launch date. 
    The spacecraft was designed, manufactured and tested in approximately 22 months from the start of the contract to the completion of the pre-shipment review.
    Michael Larkin, Orbital’s executive vice president and general manager of its space systems group said the company utilized lean manufacturing techniques and other efficient production and testing processes while building the NSS-9.
    Orbital currently has ten other commercial communications satellites in various stages of design and production for launches between 2009 and 2010, excluding the NSS-9.