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2012 SPECIAL SESSION I


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 539
Commending Orbital Sciences Corporation.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, April 17, 2012

 

WHEREAS, Orbital Sciences Corporation, headquartered in Dulles, will mark its 30th anniversary of developing and manufacturing small and medium class space systems for commercial, civil government, and military customers in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Orbital Sciences Corporation employs over 3,700 employees at its four state-of-the-art research and development and production facilities located in Dulles, Virginia; Chandler, Arizona; Gilbert, Arizona; and Greenbelt, Maryland; and

WHEREAS, since its founding in 1982, Orbital Sciences Corporation products—including commercial satellites, government satellites, space payloads, space launch vehicles, interceptor and target vehicles, and sounding rockets—have taken part in over 730 space missions; and

WHEREAS, in 2008 Orbital Sciences Corporation was selected by NASA for a $1.9 billion contract to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station; and

WHEREAS, Orbital Sciences Corporation selected the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority at Wallops Island as the primary launch site for the cargo resupply services mission, using its mid-class launch vehicle known as Antares; and

WHEREAS, Orbital Sciences Corporation committed to creating 125 new Virginia-based jobs and investing $45 million in capital expenditures; and

WHEREAS, since the 2008 agreement with the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, over 330 direct engineering and manufacturing jobs have been created to support the cargo resupply and Antares programs; $127 million has been invested in Virginia-based assets; and 685 construction jobs have been created during the launch site construction in Accomack County; and

WHEREAS, over the next eight years, an additional 350 engineering and manufacturing jobs are expected to be created between Loudoun and Accomock Counties; and

WHEREAS, a vital part of the Commonwealth’s economic engine, Orbital Sciences Corporation looks forward to continuing to provide quality products and services in support of the space industry; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Orbital Sciences Corporation hereby be commended on the occasion of its 30th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to David W. Thompson, chair, president, and chief executive officer of Orbital Sciences Corporation, as an expression of the House of Delegates’ congratulations and appreciation for the company’s contributions to the Commonwealth’s economy and the nation’s space industry.