Orbital Science Corporation's Taurus-2 May Seek Human Launch Rating!

Space News is reporting that Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corporation is conducting a study of human-rating the Taurus-2 launch vehicle following the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to demonstrate an ability to ferry cargo to and from the international space station.

An Orbital source told Space News that the company in early July began an internal study intended to identify the costs associated with human-rating the Taurus 2 and modifying the Cygnus system to carry a two-person crew.

The source said the main market Orbital has in mind is space tourism but that a human-rated Taurus 2 also could be used for space station crew rotation flights if demand warrants.

The Taurus-2 will launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia in the fall of 2010. Meanwhile, SpaceX is preparing the Dragon spacecraft for launch from Cape Canaveral.