<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-10-24</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2012-10-26</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000820736</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ORBITAL SCIENCES CORP /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ORB</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001557458</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Culbertson Frank L. Jr.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O ORBITAL SCIENCES CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>45101 WARP DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DULLES</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>VA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>20166</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Executive Vice President</officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-10-24</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>15000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>42300</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Grant of Restricted Stock Units under the issuer's Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The reporting person received the Restricted Stock Units as a grant for no consideration.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Includes 271 shares acquired under the issuer's employee stock purchase plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Amended solely to reflect that the reporting person held 42,300 shares in the aggregate following the reported transaction rather than 44,904 shares as erroneously reported, which reflected a double counting of 2,604 shares held by the reporting person's 401(k) plan.  This double counting also occurred in a subsequent Form 4 filed by the reporting person on November 26, 2012.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ James S. Black, II, Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-07-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
