[Satellite TODAY 07-02-10] Orbital Sciences has received two separate orders from NASA to launch scientific satellites on the PegasusXL and Taurus XL rockets, the launch company announced July 1.
    Orbital will launch NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft in December 2012 aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The launch will be the second Pegasus launch scheduled for that year following the launch of the Orbital-built NuStar scientific satellite in February 2012.
    In a separate contract, NASA selected Orbital’s Taurus XL rocket to boost the OCO-2 environmental monitoring satellite into orbit in early 2013. The satellite, also built by Orbital Sciences, aims to provide space-based data on carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. 
    Financial details of the contracts were not disclosed. The next scheduled Taurus launch will boost the Orbital-built Glory satellite into low-Earth orbit for NASA in the fourth quarter.

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