Orbital Sciences is to launch the interface region imaging spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft for Nasa under a new contract.

The spacecraft is scheduled to fly aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, US, in December 2012.

The $40m contract includes the task-ordered launch service for a Pegasus XL, additional services for launch site support, integrated services and mission support.

IRIS is designed to measure the flow of energy and plasma through the sun’s atmosphere and heliosphere.

The mission will open a window of discovery into a crucial gap in current solar observational capabilities, according to Nasa.

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