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Orbital Sciences Corporation
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<p>Orbital Sciences Corporation (commonly referred to as Orbital) was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture, and launch of small- and medium- class <a href="/facts/Space/tq6LUM3C">space</a> and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other government customers. In 2014, Orbital merged with <a href="/facts/Alliant_Techsystems/zsvwqX5b">Alliant Techsystems</a> (ATK) to create a new company called <a href="/facts/Orbital_ATK/zwkJhWEe">Orbital ATK</a>, which in turn was purchased by <a href="/facts/Northrop_Grumman/M6keKE1A">Northrop Grumman</a> in 2018. </p><p>Orbital was headquartered in <a href="/facts/Dulles,_Virginia/HPXJ3ujj">Dulles, Virginia</a> and publicly traded on the <a href="/facts/New_York_Stock_Exchange/XgSV32lk">New York Stock Exchange</a> with the ticker symbol ORB. Orbital's primary products were satellites and <a href="/facts/Launch_vehicle/g1GCGFJB">launch vehicles</a>, including <a href="/facts/Low_Earth_orbit/rq1TwayJ">low Earth orbit</a> (LEO), <a href="/facts/Geosynchronous_orbit/nR2yaeUg">geosynchronous Earth orbit</a> and planetary spacecraft for <a href="/facts/Communication/EGEkchsT">communications</a>, <a href="/facts/Remote_sensing/pj2crmGs">remote sensing</a>, scientific and defense missions; ground- and air-launched launch vehicles that delivered satellites into orbit; missile defense systems that were used as interceptor and target vehicles; and <a href="/facts/Human-rating_certification/JqkECqQv">human-rated</a> space systems for Earth orbit, lunar and other missions. Orbital also provided satellite subsystems and space-related technical services to government agencies and laboratories. </p><p>On 29 April 2014, Orbital Sciences announced that it would merge with Alliant Techsystems to create a new company called Orbital ATK. The merger was completed on 9 February 2015 and Orbital Sciences ceased to exist as an independent entity. </p><p>On 18 September 2017, Northrop Grumman announced plans to purchase Orbital ATK for US$7.8 billion in cash plus assumption of US$1.4 billion in debt, and on 6 June 2018, the acquisition was completed, and Orbital ATK became Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. As of 1 January 2020, the name was changed to Space Systems under a large restructuring and rebranding initiative. </p>