Antares, expendable launch system, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Dulles, Virginia, USA

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Developer - Northrop Grumman Space Systems

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Antares on Wikipedia

 

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NG-13: Antares 230+ launches S.S. Robert H. Lawrence Cygnus

Feb 15, 2020

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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Launch of Antares Cygnus NG-14 Mission heading to Space Station

Oct 3, 2020

The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket in the 230+ configuration has successfully launched the unmanned Cygnus NG-14 cargo spacecraft into orbit. Liftoff took place at 01:16 UTC, October 3rd 2020 from Pad 0A of Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The craft contains over 3551kg of research, hardware and crew supplies for the International Space Station including a brand new Space toilet.

Arrival at the International Space Station is set for October 5th with grapple by the robotic arm occurring around 09:20 UTC.

 

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Northrop Grumman to launch Antares Cygnus Cargo to the ISS #NG15​

Streamed live Feb 20, 2021

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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NG-17 Antares launches S.S. Piers Sellers Cygnus

Feb 19, 2022

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.

Cygnus, unmanned resupply spacecraft