Cygnus, unmanned resupply spacecraft, Northrop Space Systems, Dulles, Virginia, USA

Representation of a typical mission to provide commercial cargo logistics service to the International Space Station using Orbital's new Antares rocket and Cygnus advanced maneuvering spacecraft.

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This time-lapse video shows the roll out of the Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft aboard, from the Horizontal Integration Facility to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Launch Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The roughly half-mile roll out began shortly after 4 a.m. on July 10, 2014. Arrival at the pad was about an hour later.

The launch to the International Space Station in scheduled for 1:14 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 12.

Cygnus is filled with about 3,300 pounds of supplies for the station, including science experiments to expand the research capability of the Expedition 40 crew, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware.

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I was recording the live NASA feed when it happened.

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At T-6 seconds the second first stage engine failed before falling back onto the launch pad, there are no causalities known at the time of writing this.

The very first Antares 130 rocket, with an upgraded upper stage, was due to launch for the first time from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia today, October 28th 2014 at 22:22 UTC. The rocket was carrying the Cygnus CRS-3 unmanned spacecraft due to go into orbit carrying 2,215 kg of cargo for the 6 crew members of Expedition 41 currently onboard the International Space Station.

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The Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft that launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida March 22 arrived at the International Space Station March 26 carrying almost 7,500 pounds of food, supplies and science experiments for the six crew members aboard the orbital outpost.

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On April 18, Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo space craft launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard a United Launch Alliance rocket, on Orbital ATK’s seventh resupply mission to the International Space Station. Cygnus is packed with 7,600 pounds of supplies and research for the crew aboard the orbiting laboratory.

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The Orbital/ATK Cygnus cargo ship was released from the International Space Station June 4, following a 44-day stay at the complex in which approximately 7,600 pounds of supplies and scientific experiments were delivered to the station’s residents. NASA Flight Engineers Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson were at the controls of the Canadarm2 robotic arm to release Cygnus after it was unbolted from the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. Dubbed the “SS John Glenn” after the iconic Mercury and shuttle astronaut and U.S. Senator from Ohio, Cygnus will remain in orbit for a week in support of the SAFFIRE experiment and the deployment of four small Nanoracks satellites before Orbital ATK flight controllers send commands June 11 to deorbit the spacecraft for its reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, where it will burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

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Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket launched the Cygnus spacecraft full of cargo — and science equipment — to the International Space Station on Nov. 17, 2018.

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Northrop Grumman's vision for the next step toward human space missions to Mars employs our flight-proven Cygnus advanced maneuvering spacecraft as a human habitat in cislunar space, the region between the Moon and Earth. In the early 2020s we would launch the initial habitat on NASA’s SLS rocket. Featuring a modular design, the habitat would serve both as a destination for crewed missions and as an unmanned testbed to prove-out the technologies needed for long-duration human space missions. The habitat is also envisioned as a base for lunar missions by international partners or commercial ventures. With additional habitation and propulsion modules, the habitat could be outfitted for a Mars pathfinder mission.

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A Northrop Grumman Antares 230 rocket launched the CRS-11 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the S.S. Roger Chaffee, from MARS Pad 0A, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on 17 April 2019, at 20:46 UTC (16:46 EDT). For the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) NG-11 mission, Cygnus delivers about 3450 kilograms (7600 pounds) of cargo to the International Space Station and is scheduled to arrive on 19 April 2019, at 09:30 UTC (05:30 EDT). The NG-11 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of the American astronaut Roger Chaffe, the pilot of the Apollo 1 spacecraft, the first manned mission of the Apollo program.
Credit:
Northrop Grumman/NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Northrop Grumman's NG-11 mission preview gives you an inside look at the company's Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft. Cygnus delivers essential cargo and science experiments to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

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A Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ rocket launched the CRS-12 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the S.S. Alan Bean, from MARS Pad 0A, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on 2 November 2019, at 13:59 UTC. For the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) NG-12 mission, Cygnus delivers about 3719 kilograms (8200 pounds) of cargo to the International Space Station and is scheduled to arrive on 4 November 2019. The NG-12 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of the American astronaut Alan Bean, the pilot of the Apollo 12 Lunar Module.
Credit: Northrop Grumman/NASA/Bill Ingalls

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A Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ rocket launched the CRS-13 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the S.S. Robert H. Lawrence, from MARS Pad 0A, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on 15 February 2020, at 20:21 UTC. For the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) NG-13 mission, Cygnus delivers about 3628 kilograms (8000 pounds) of cargo to the International Space Station and is scheduled to arrive on 18 February 2020. The NG-13 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of the American astronaut Robert H. Lawrence, the first African-American astronaut.

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The Northrup Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft was captured by the International Space Station's robotic arm on Feb. 18, 2020. -- Cygnus cargo ship delivers cheese, candy and science gear to space station astronauts

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A Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ rocket launched the CRS-14 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the S.S. Kalpana Chawla, from MARS Pad 0A, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on 3 October 2020, at 01:16 UTC (2 October, at 21:16 EDT). For the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) NG-14 mission, Cygnus delivers about 3628 kilograms (8000 pounds) of cargo to the International Space Station and is scheduled to arrive on 5 October 2020. The NG-14 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of the former astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first woman of Indian descent to go to space.

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As part of the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS), Cygnus will carry nearly 3,600 kg (~ 8,000 lb) of science experiments, crew supplies and hardware to the ISS. The crew of Expedition 64 will catch, and Mission Control will berth the Cygnus spacecraft on February 22 to the bottom of the Unity module. NG-15 will mark Northrop Gumman’s 15th ISS resupply mission.

The Antares 230+ is a two stage expendable rocket that can carry up to 8,000 kg (~17,600 lb) into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). With dimensions of 42.5 m (~139 ft) and 3.9 m (~13 ft), the Antares 230+ is about the same height and diameter as the first stage of SpaceX’ Falcon 9. With two Russian RD-181 engines on the first stage, the rocket lifts off the pad with 3,844 kN (~864,000 lbf). Its first stage is propelled by Rocket Propellant 1 (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The second stage on the other hand is a Castor-30XL solid rocket motor. Fueled by hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and aluminum, it produces 474 kN (~107,000 lbf) of thrust.

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A Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ rocket launched the CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed “S.S. Ellison Onizuka”, from MARS Pad 0A, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on 10 August 2021, at 22:01 UTC (18:01 EDT). For NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) NG-16 mission, Cygnus delivers approximately 3720 kg (8,200 pounds) of research, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station and is scheduled to arrive on 12 August 2021. The NG-16 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese origin to reach space.
Credit: Northrop Grumman/NASA/Brian Bonsteel/Terry Zaperach

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Northrop Grumman’s CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed “S.S. Ellison Onizuka” was unberthed from Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module and released by the Canadarm2 robotic arm on 20 November 2021, at 16:00 UTC (11:00 EST). After departure, the Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) stowed inside Cygnus will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere. Cygnus will deorbit on 15 December 2021. The NG-16 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese origin to reach space.

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A Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ rocket launched the CRS-17 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed “S.S. Piers Sellers”, from MARS Pad 0A, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on 19 February 2022, at 17:40 UTC (12:40 EST). For NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) NG-17 mission, Cygnus delivers approximately 3765 kg (8,300 pounds) of research, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station and is scheduled to arrive on 21 February 2022. The NG-17 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of the late NASA astronaut Piers Sellers.

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A Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ rocket launched the CRS-18 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed “S.S. Sally Ride”, from MARS Pad 0A, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on 7 November 2022, at 10:32 UTC (05:32 EDT). For NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) NG-18 mission, Cygnus delivers approximately 3,729 kg (8,200 lb.) of research, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station and is scheduled to arrive on 9 November 2022, around 10:05 UTC (05:05 EDT). The NG-18 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of the late NASA astronaut Sally Ride. In 1983 she became the first American woman to fly in space for STS-7, the Space Shuttle Challenger’s second mission.

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