Orbital Sciences Corporation set a new company record in 1997 with approximately $1.7 billion in new orders for its space and groundinfrastructure systems product lines last year. New orders for the company’s infrastructure systems in 1997 outpaced annual revenues by more than 3 to 1, one of the highest “book-to-bill” ratios in the company’s history. As a result, Orbital expects its final 1997 financial results to reflect firm contract backlog of over $1 billion and total contract backlog, including options, of approximately $2.9 billion.
“Last year was a spectacular period for new orders in Orbital’s core
infrastructure business,” stated Mr. David W. Thompson, President and Chief
Executive Officer. “Domestic and international demand remained strong in our targeted market segments and we maintained or increased the company’s marketshare in each of our major product lines,” he added.
Orbital’s space and ground infrastructure systems consist of satellites,
launch vehicles, sensors and electronics, and ground systems and software.
Its largest infrastructure product sector, satellites and related space
systems, was bolstered by last year’s acquisition of CTA, Inc.’s satellite
manufacturing business, and accounted for approximately $1 billion in new
orders during 1997. Orbital’s second largest business sector, launch
vehicles, which includes its Pegasus, Taurus and suborbital rockets, received
over $400 million in new orders, covering up to 60 launches over the next five years. Rounding out the new orders in 1997 were approximately $250 million in contracts for sensors and electronics and satellite ground systems and related products.
