On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) is scheduled to launch its new Antares rocket from Virginia's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS). This will be the first launch of the Antares since a failed launch in October 2014, and it is a critical milestone for OSC as it seeks to establish itself as a reliable and cost-effective commercial space launch provider.

NASA's decision to award a significant contract to OSC in 2013 raised concerns within some quarters that the agency was taking on too much risk by hitching its future to an unproven company. Orbital's failure in 2014 seemed to justify those concerns, and NASA was criticized for not more closely vetting the company before making the award.

However, NASA officials have defended the decision, arguing that Orbital was the best choice available at the time and that the agency was confident in the company's long-term potential. Orbital's successful launch on Tuesday would go a long way toward vindicating NASA's decision and demonstrating that the agency made the right call by taking a risk on a promising new player in the commercial space launch industry.

Here are some of the factors that NASA considered when awarding the contract to Orbital:

Experience: Orbital has been in the space launch business for over two decades, and it has a proven track record of success. The company has successfully launched over 100 rockets, including the Pegasus and Taurus vehicles.

Cost-effectiveness: Orbital's prices are very competitive with those of other commercial space launch providers. This was a key factor for NASA, which is facing budget constraints.

Reliability: Orbital has a reputation for reliability, and its rockets have a high success rate. This is important for NASA, which needs to be confident that its payloads will be delivered safely and on time.

Innovation: Orbital is a leader in the development of new space launch technologies. The company is developing the Antares rocket, which is a new type of launch vehicle that is designed to be more efficient and cost-effective than traditional rockets.

In conclusion, NASA's decision to award a significant contract to Orbital was based on a number of factors, including experience, cost-effectiveness, reliability, and innovation. Orbital's successful launch on Tuesday would go a long way toward vindicating NASA's decision and demonstrating that the agency made the right call by taking a risk on a promising new player in the commercial space launch industry.