Orbital Sciences Corp.'s recent contract to build two relatively small communications satellites is an indication that such platforms are gaining wider acceptance in a marketplace that traditionally has viewed bigger as better, according to a senior company official. The deal with SingTel Optus of Sydney, Australia, brings to 11 the number of Star satellite platforms sold by Orbital Sciences of Dulles, Va, Perhaps more significantly, it is the first sale to a customer that originally set out to buy a single, larger satellite, said Ali Atia, president of Orbital's commercial satellite unit.
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