Orbital Sciences Corp. [NYSE: ORB] has been awarded a major contract by the U.S. Air Force to provide space launch and missile defense target vehicles using deactivated Peacekeeper ICBM assets under the Orbital/Suborbital Program-2 (OSP-2). Orbital also made the sole offer for the other half of OSP-2, providing space and target launch vehicles using deactivated Minuteman assets similar to the work that the company is performing for the Air Force under the current OSP-1 contract.

Orbital was awarded the OSP-2 Peacekeeper contract by the Space and Missile Systems Center. The OSP-2 Minuteman contract will be negotiated as a sole source acquisition. Together, these announcements include potential orders for as many as 41 launch vehicles for a total combined maximum value of $475 million.