Antares (rocket)

Antares , known during early development as Taurus II, is an American expendable medium-lift launch vehicle developed and built by <a href="/facts/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation/WNB0SKlF">Orbital Sciences Corporation</a> (later <a href="/facts/Orbital_ATK/zwkJhWEe">Orbital ATK</a> and <a href="/facts/Northrop_Grumman/M6keKE1A">Northrop Grumman</a>) with financial support from NASA under the <a href="/facts/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services/wYMHLjrk">Commercial Orbital Transportation Services</a> (COTS) program awarded in February 2008, alongside the company's automated cargo spacecraft, <a href="/facts/Cygnus_(spacecraft)/8jFp6gs7">Cygnus</a>. Like other launch vehicles developed by Orbital, Antares leveraged lower-cost, off-the-shelf parts and designs.
The first stage is <a href="/facts/Liquid-propellant_rocket/TAonrVDn">liquid fueled</a>, burning <a href="/facts/RP-1/wDI7vNdu">RP-1</a> (kerosene) and <a href="/facts/Liquid_oxygen/qnI0KDTb">liquid oxygen</a> (LOX). Due to Orbital's limited experience with large liquid stages, the construction was subcontracted to the Ukrainian companies <a href="/facts/KB_Pivdenne/euSxfxsR">Pivdenne</a> and <a href="/facts/PA_Pivdenmash/lXU5z0xQ">Pivdenmash</a>. Initially, the Antares 100 series used refurbished NK-33 engines, remnants of the Soviet <a href="/facts/N1_(rocket)/7dVhShJU">N1</a> moon rocket. However, after a catastrophic explosion, the Antares 200 series transitioned to newly built Russian <a href="/facts/RD-191/uEko9DN7">RD-191</a> engines. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Northrop Grumman announced plans for the Antares 300, featuring a new first stage developed in partnership with <a href="/facts/Firefly_Aerospace/4ezytxxr">Firefly Aerospace</a>. The new first stage, similar to Firefly's MLV launch vehicle, will incorporate composite structures and seven <a href="/facts/Miranda_(engine)/4ezytxxr">Miranda</a> engines, increasing Antares's payload capacity.
The second stage is a <a href="/facts/Castor_30/D3vgsyc7">Castor 30</a>-series solid-fuel rocket, derived from the Castor 120 solid motor used in Orbital's <a href="/facts/Minotaur-C/XQDB2hca">Minotaur-C</a> (the original Taurus I), and itself based on a <a href="/facts/LGM-118_Peacekeeper/HpETRcB9">Peacekeeper</a> ICBM first stage. While an optional third stage is offered, it has never been used due to the Cygnus spacecraft's integrated service module.
Antares made its maiden flight on April 21, 2013, launching the <a href="/facts/Antares_A-ONE/nsEwkK4X">Antares A-ONE</a> mission from <a href="/facts/Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Spaceport_Launch_Pad_0/tdB0Io71">LP-0A</a> at the <a href="/facts/Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Spaceport/NerIMmk0">Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport</a> (MARS) with a Cygnus mass simulator. Later that year, on September 18, the rocket successfully launched <a href="/facts/Cygnus_Orb-D1/0NpkWGaj">Orb-D1</a>, the first Cygnus mission to rendezvous with the <a href="/facts/International_Space_Station/VNPUBz9m">International Space Station</a> (ISS). Following the successful completion of these two COTS demonstration missions, Antares and Cygnus have been awarded two <a href="/facts/Commercial_Resupply_Services/TahzTN1Y">Commercial Resupply Services</a> contracts, encompassing a total of 25 missions to the ISS.
The COTS program also funded the development of <a href="/facts/SpaceX/2tKHsVdJ">SpaceX</a>'s <a href="/facts/SpaceX_Dragon/oduVLMWr">Dragon</a> spacecraft and <a href="/facts/Falcon_9/mNck6vby">Falcon 9</a> rocket, aiming to stimulate the commercial space industry by creating two medium-lift launch vehicles. While SpaceX's Falcon 9 has achieved significant commercial success, Antares has not. To date, NASA remains Antares's sole customer, and Cygnus its only payload.

Antares (rocket) open-in-new

Antares (rocket)