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[i]The spacecraft, designed to launch atop an Atlas 5 rocket and dock with the international space station, could be ready for remotely piloted test flights as early as 2014, and would be capable of carrying four passengers initially, and up to six based on future market demand, sources said. In design at Orbital for the past year, the reusable spacecraft would be built using existing materials and technologies, employ standard hypergolic propellants and rely on a pusher escape system in the event of a launch mishap, sources said. Dulles, Va.-based Orbital is teaming with Virgin Galactic of New Mexico on the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) project. Virgin Galactic will sell commercial seats on the spacecraft and provide transport services for the vehicle via its WhiteKnightTwo aircraft, industry sources said. Although Orbital expects to launch and land the spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., in the event of an abort, WhiteKnightTwo would ferry the spaceship between its landing location and the Cape.[/i]
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