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Contact: Barron Beneski, (703) 406-5000, beneski.barron{at}orbital.com

ORBITAL-BUILT BSAT-2c SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED

Third Satellite in BSAT-2 Series to Provide Video Distribution
Services For Japan

60-Day Post-Launch Checkout Procedure Now Underway Prior to In-Orbit
Delivery to Customer

(Dulles, VA 12 June 2003) - Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB)
announced today that the BSAT-2c geosynchronous orbit (GEO)
communications satellite the company built for Broadcasting Satellite
System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan was successfully launched aboard
an Ariane 5 rocket on Wednesday, June 11, 2003. The mission
originated from the Arianespace launch complex in Kourou, French
Guiana at approximately 6:38 p.m. (EDT). The BSAT-2c satellite was
deployed into a transfer orbit about 35 minutes later. Initial
communications with the satellite have been established and it is
performing as expected in the early stages of the mission. The
BSAT-2c satellite is the third spacecraft Orbital has built for B-SAT
and the sixth GEO spacecraft Orbital has launched, each of them
carried aboard an Ariane rocket.

Over the next several days, BSAT-2c will perform a series of orbit
raising "burns" of its on-board rocket motor to achieve a circular
orbit approximately 22,300 miles above the Earth. For several weeks
afterward, a team of Orbital and B-SAT engineers will conduct a
comprehensive series of tests to ensure the readiness of the
spacecraft for final hand-over to B-SAT, which is currently scheduled
to occur in mid-August. 

The BSAT-2c satellite will operate in Ku-band frequencies from its
orbital location at 110 degrees East longitude. The spacecraft is
optimized for a 10-year design life and will provide additional
capacity for B-SAT's satellite network over Japan.

In the past several years, Orbital has firmly established itself as a
major supplier in the world market for GEO communications and
broadcasting satellites. The company's GEO satellites are based on
the STARTM family of smaller GEO satellite platforms, which are able
to accommodate most types of commercial communications payloads. For
many applications, the STAR design is an attractive alternative to
the industry's larger, more costly GEO satellites. The STAR
satellites are smaller and significantly less expensive to
manufacture and launch. They are an ideal fit for customers in the
early stages of building their business or established companies like
B-SAT that wish to replace or add incremental capacity to their
network. 

About Orbital
Orbital develops and manufactures small space systems for commercial,
civil government and military customers. The company's primary
products are spacecraft and launch vehicles, including low-orbit,
geostationary and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote
sensing and scientific missions; ground- and air-launched rockets
that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense boosters that
are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers
space-related technical services to government agencies and develops
and builds satellite-based transportation management systems for
public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators. More
information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com 

# # #

Note to editors:

- A high-resolution (300+ d.p.i.) artist rendering of a BSAT-2 series
satellite in orbit is available on Orbital's web site at:
http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/Images/GEO/

- A Fact Sheet on the BSAT-2 series satellites is also available on
Orbital's web site at: http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/Publications/

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