EMCORE Awarded Solar Panel Manufacturing Contract by Orbital Sciences Corporation for the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) Mission

EMCORE Solar Panels Will Power ICESat-2 Spacecraft for the 2016 NASA Mission

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Sept. 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EMCORE Corporation (Nasdaq:EMKR), a leading provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fiber optic and solar power markets, announced today that it has been awarded a solar panel manufacturing contract by Orbital Sciences Corporation for NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission targeted for launch in early 2016. Solar panels populated with EMCORE's most advanced ZTJ triple-junction solar cells will power the ICESat-2 spacecraft manufactured by Orbital.

ICESat-2 builds on measurements taken by NASA's original ICESat mission. ICESat was the benchmark Earth Observing System mission for measuring ice sheet mass balance, cloud and aerosol heights, as well as land topography and vegetation characteristics.  Data from ICESat, which was in orbit from 2003 to 2010, revealed thinning of the world's ice sheets.  ICESat-2 will use precision laser-ranging techniques to measure the topography of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and the thickness of sea ice.  For more information on ICESat-2, please visit http://icesat.gsfc.nasa.gov/icesat2/.

"This award for ICESat-2 continues the strong partnership between Orbital Sciences Corporation and EMCORE," said Brad Clevenger, General Manager of EMCORE's Photovoltaics Group. "Our proven manufacturing capability, technology leadership and solar panel reliability make EMCORE the supplier of choice for demanding spacecraft power systems."

EMCORE is the world's leading manufacturer of highly-efficient radiation-hard solar cells for space power applications.  With a Beginning-Of-Life (BOL) conversion efficiency nearing 30% and the option for a patented, onboard monolithic bypass diode, EMCORE's industry-leading multi-junction solar cells provide the highest available power to interplanetary spacecraft and earth orbiting satellites.  

About EMCORE

EMCORE Corporation offers a broad portfolio of compound semiconductor-based products for the fiber optics and solar power markets. EMCORE's Fiber Optics business segment provides optical components, subsystems and systems for high-speed telecommunications, Cable Television (CATV) and Fiber-To-The-Premise (FTTP) networks, as well as products for satellite communications, video transport and specialty photonics technologies for defense and homeland security applications. EMCORE's Solar Photovoltaics business segment provides products for space power applications including high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells, Covered Interconnect Cells (CICs) and complete satellite solar panels. For further information about EMCORE, visit http://www.emcore.com.

About Orbital Sciences Corporation

As the industry leader in small- and medium-class space and rocket systems, Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE:ORB) provides a complete set of reliable, cost-effective products including satellites for Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), communications and broadcasting, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft that perform remote sensing and scientific research, spacecraft used for national security missions, and planetary probes to explore deep space. In addition, Orbital provides full service engineering, production and technical services for NASA, DoD, commercial and academic space programs. For more information on Orbital Sciences Corporation, please visit http://www.orbital.com/.

Forward–looking statements:

The information provided herein may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, any statement or implication that the contract described in this press release will be successfully completed. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about EMCORE and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those stated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (a) the termination for convenience of the contract for the ICESat-2 mission, which is permitted by the terms of that contract, and (b) factors discussed in more detail in EMCORE's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and EMCORE undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CONTACT: EMCORE Corporation
         Navid Fatemi
         Vice President, Business Development
         (505) 332-5000
         navid_fatemi@emcore.com

         TTC Group
         Victor Allgeier
         (646) 290-6400
         vic@ttcominc.com

Released September 26, 2012