This launch along with several other activities leading up to it, are paid milestones under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program.
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, a NASA program for delivery to the International Space Station by private companies
The flight was carried out by Orbital Sciences under contract to NASA as Cygnus' demonstration mission in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.
United States Department of Transportation | United States Department of Health and Human Services | Bombardier Transportation | General Services Administration | Commercial off-the-shelf | Southern Pacific Transportation Company | Office of Strategic Services | Department of Transportation | National Transportation Safety Board | CSX Transportation | New York City Department of Transportation | Transportation Security Administration | Catholic Relief Services | Amazon Web Services | Inter-Services Intelligence | Returned and Services League of Australia | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority | Tata Consultancy Services | Financial Services Authority | Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | Transportation Research Board | New York State Department of Transportation | California Department of Transportation | Taxi Services Commission | Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 | Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users | Florida Department of Transportation | financial services | Commercial Radio Hong Kong | United States Citizenship and Immigration Services |
This start-up in the space industry founded in November 2003 has already won major contracts and is the only private company working on the 5 next human-rated spacecraft (ATV, HTV, CEV, and both COTS spacecraft with SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation).