[Satellite TODAY 04-26-10] Orbital Sciences launched its Minotaur 4 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., April 22, the company announced.
    A three-stage HTV-2 rocket, built by Lockheed Martin, lifted the Minotaur 4 carrying a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) military experiment vehicle for use in a future weapon system.
    The launch is the first of two HTV missions that Orbital is contracted to provide to DARPA. The second launch is scheduled for 2011, depending upon the outcome of further HTV-2 testing.
    In a statement released to press, U.S. military officials said that the total projected cost for the development, fabrication and flight test of the two HTV-2 vehicles is $308 million, with an additional cost of $40 million for the recent launch.
    Separately, Orbital’s board of directors announced it has authorized the company to repurchase up to $50 million of its common stock over a 12-month period, replacing a previous $50 million authorization that expired March 6. Since Orbital began its share repurchase program in 2004, the company has repurchased about 12.7 million of its shares.

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