Orbital Sciences has increased by 50 percent the annual revenue and launch rate it expects from its Taurus 2 rocket based on additional business expected in carrying supplies to the international space station, Orbital Chief Executive David W. Thompson said April 17. The new estimate is four to five launches per year and $300 million in annual revenue starting in 2012 or 2013. Taurus 2 is scheduled to make its first flight in late 2010. Orbital will decide within a month whether Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., or NASA's Wallops Space Flight Facility in Virginia will be Taurus 2's launch base. Both states have made attractive offers that Thompson said could result in a net savings for Orbital on Taurus 2 costs compared to the company's original estimates.
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机译：轨道科学首席执行官戴维·汤普森（David W. Thompson）4月17日表示，基于将向国际空间站运送物资的预期额外业务，轨道科学公司已经将其Taurus 2火箭的年收入和发射速度提高了50％。从2012年或2013年开始，每年要进行五次发射，年收入为3亿美元。金牛座2号计划在2010年末进行首次飞行。轨道公司将在一个月内决定佛罗里达州的卡纳维拉尔角空军基地或美国宇航局的Wallops弗吉尼亚的太空飞行设施将成为金牛座2的发射基地。汤普森表示，这两个州都提出了有吸引力的报价，与该公司最初的估计相比，这可能导致Orbital在Taurus 2成本上净节省。
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