Launch News Orbital's Antares Maiden Flight & ORB-D "G. David Low" Cygnus Demo updates.

[orb]

Parabolic Arc: Antares Engine Test Rescheduled for Friday Evening

 

[Kyle]

Test firing to take place between 6pm and 9pm tonight.

 

[orb]

Test firing completed.

NASASpaceflight: Hot fire success for Orbital’s Antares



NASA News Release:
RELEASE : 13-053
NASA Partner Orbital Tests Rocket, Newest U.S. Launch Pad

Feb. 22, 2013

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- NASA commercial partner Orbital Sciences of Dulles, Va., successfully conducted an engine test of its Antares rocket Friday at the nation's newest launch pad.

The company fired dual AJ26 rocket engines for the full duration 29 seconds while the rocket was bolted down on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. Known as a "hot fire" test, it demonstrated the readiness of the rocket's first stage and launch pad fueling systems to support upcoming test flights.

"This pad test is an important reminder of how strong and diverse the commercial space industry is in our nation," said Phil McAlister, director of Commercial Spaceflight Development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "A little more than one year after the retirement of the space shuttle, we had a U.S company resupplying the International Space Station. Now, another is taking the next critical steps to launch from America's newest gateway to low-Earth Orbit. Today marks significant progress for Orbital, MARS and the NASA team."

{...}

 

[Kyle]

Picture of the test firing.

Video:

 

[Pipcard]

Okay, I have a slight problem with this promotional art:

The lettering for "ANTARES" is located on what would be the liquid oxygen tank.

When that tank is being filled with LOX prior to launch, ice forms on the outer surface of the vehicle due to the low temperatures combined with the humidity.

So how will "ANTARES" be visible during launch?

 

[Mader Levap]

It will be as visible as PACEX on last F9 launch.

 

[Kyle]

Antares now has finally been given a date of launch, April 4th.

Also, here's a good view of the mass demonstrator, if anyone is curious/wants to make an addon.

 

[orb]

Orbital: Orbital Sets “No Earlier Than” April 16-18 Launch Date Range for Antares “A-One” Test Flight

 

[Kyle]

Another delay? Surely you must not be serious!

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Some beefy updates:

The first space swan is being filled up in her belly right now, as 560 kg of cargo were transported from Houston to Wallops Island and loaded into the Pressurized Cargo Module of the first Cygnus spacecraft to take flight this summer last week. Meanwhile, the swan tail (a.k.a. Cygnus Service Module) was shipped to Wallops on March 26.

On the Antares side, the first stage used for static fire tests was removed from the "ramp pad" on Wallops pad 0A on March 23 and moved back to the integration facility, clearing it for the first flight vehicle next month. The Antares test flight is still scheduled for April 16 (with windows till the 19th) at 3 pm EDT.

P.S. I really really want to fly the Antares and Cygnus to the ISS in Orbiter right when the test flight goes up next month; the meshes are already done and it won't take too much effort to convert them to spacecraft3 and multistage2 modules..... hopefully someone here have time to do that during Easter, perhaps even with the launch pad and HIF included! :tiphat:

 

[Kyle]

Now looking at a NET date of April 17th.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Rollout tomorrow! :woohoo:

Meanwhile the first "tin can beer mug swan" (as it shall ever be known to me ) is being integrated as the cargo and service modules are put together at Wallops:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

I wanna this scene on Orbiter! :idea:

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: PHOTOS: First Antares rocket rollout to launch pad

 

[Alfastar]

I wanna this scene on Orbiter! :idea:

Awesome picture! That become my new desktop screen :thumbup:

Anyway, good luck, Orbital, with this awesome first launch of the Antares.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

It certainly looks good. Best of luck to the Orbital team, success for them is a success for all.

 

[N_Molson]

The ISS is going to be supplied for 20 years :lol:

 

[orb]

AmericaSpace: Orbital's Antares Rocket Rolls Out to Pad in Preparation for First COTS Mission

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Slightly delay in the launch time.... it's now 5 pm EDT (21:00 UTC) on April 17!

Orbital Sciences ‏@OrbitalSciences
Orbital Sets April 17 at 5:00 p.m. as targeted launch date and time for #Antares Test Flight from @NASA_Wallops

That also means a slightly more humane time for me to watch the launch live on NASA TV.... (5 am local instead of 3 am)

 

[IronRain]

This means the launch will take place when I'm back from work :thumbup: