Antares 130 (Orbital Sciences Corporation)
The Antares 130 is a non-reusable, inactive launch vehicle manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It undertook its inaugural launch on 10/28/2014.
Antares known during early development as Taurus II, is an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now part of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems after Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital ATK) and the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau to launch the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's COTS and CRS programs. Able to launch payloads heavier than 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) into low-Earth orbit, Antares is the largest rocket operated by Orbital ATK. Antares launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and made its inaugural flight on April 21, 2013.
Antares 130 Specifications
| Variant | 130 |
|---|---|
| Length | 41.9 m |
| Diameter | 3.9 m |
| Stages | 2 |
| Launch Mass | 286 T |
| Takeoff Thrust | 3265 kN |
| LEO Capacity | 5100 kg |
Antares 130 Launch Record
| Total Launches | 1 |
|---|---|
| Failed Launches | 1 |
Manufacturer
Program
Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) are a series of flights awarded by NASA for the delivery of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station.The first CRS contracts were signed in 2008 and awarded $1.6 billion to SpaceX for twelve cargo Dragon and $1.9 billion to Orbital Sciences for eight Cygnus flights, covering deliveries to 2016. The Falcon 9 and Antares rockets were also developed under the CRS program to deliver cargo spacecraft to the ISS.