NASA has ordered four launches from Orbital Sciences, scheduled for 2006-8. Pegasus boosters will air-launch the Space Technology 8 and Small Explorer 10 satellites, while the ground-launched Taurus will carry the Glory and Orbiting Carbon Observer spacecraft. NASA has ordered 25 Pegasus and Taurus launches, 11 of which remain to be conducted. Launch of the DirecTV 7S satellite has been transferred from an Ariane 5 to a Sea Launch mission in early 2004 under the mission assurance deal between Arianespace, Boeing and Mitsubishi. China launched a Long March 2D from Jiuquan on 3 November carrying an FSW satellite that will return science and observation payloads to Earth on 21 November.
Source: Flight International
