New Antares Rocket Launched

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Third Antares Launch Attempt

Countdown Begins for April 21 Launch

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 03:57:22 PM GMT

The Range count started at 8:45 a.m. EDT in preparation for today's launch of Orbital Sciences Corporation's test flight of its Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. Orbital is targeting a launch window between 5 and 7 p.m. There is an 80 percent chance of favorable weather at the time of launch; surface winds are the primary concern for a weather violation.

NASA Television is scheduled to begin launch coverage at 4:30 p.m. EDT

For NASA TV schedule and video streaming information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the launch, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Weather 80%, Countdown Underway for Launch 5-7pm

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:35:41 PM GMT

The Range count started at 8:45 a.m. EDT in preparation for today's launch of Orbital Sciences Corporation's test flight of its Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. Orbital is targeting a launch window between 5 and 7 p.m. There is an 80 percent chance of favorable weather at the time of launch. Surface winds are the primary concern for a weather violation.

NASA Television is scheduled to begin launch coverage at 4:30 p.m. EDT

For NASA TV schedule and video streaming information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the launch, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Go for Antares Fueling

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:33:37 PM GMT

The poll has been completed to begin fueling of the Antares rocket at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The launch of Orbital’s Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A on Wallops Island is schedule for 5 p.m.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

All is Go for Antares Launch

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:48:43 PM GMT

Orbital Sciences Corporation has confirmed its loading of its Antares rocket's propellant is complete and the launch team is not working any issues. The probability of acceptable weather for launch remains 80 percent. NASA TV coverage is underway ahead of a 5 p.m. EDT test of the rocket from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Watch live at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Source

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Antares Launch Successfully

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:21:25 PM GMT

Orbital Sciences Antares rocket successfully launched at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 21 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. All system nominal.

Post launch briefing will air on NASA TV at approx. 6:30pm EDT.

Source

Edited April 21, 2013 by Waspie_Dwarf

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA PARTNER ORBITAL SCIENCES TEST LAUNCHES ANTARES ROCKET

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:26:33 PM GMT

RELEASE: 13-114

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corporation Sunday launched its Antares rocket at XX:XX p.m. EDT from the new Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The test flight was the first launch from the pad at Wallops and was the first flight of Antares, which delivered the equivalent mass of a spacecraft, a so-called mass simulated payload, into Earth's orbit.

"Today's successful test marks another significant milestone in NASA's plan to rely on American companies to launch supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station, bringing this important work back to the United States where it belongs," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "Congratulations to Orbital Sciences and the NASA team that worked alongside them for the picture-perfect launch of the Antares rocket. In addition to providing further evidence that our strategic space exploration plan is moving forward, this test also inaugurates America's newest spaceport capable of launching to the space station, opening up additional opportunities for commercial and government users.

"President Obama has presented a budget for next year that ensures the United States will remain the world leader in space exploration, and a critical part of this budget is the funding needed to advance NASA's commercial space initiative. In order to stop outsourcing American space launches, we need to have the President's budget enacted. It's a budget that's good for our economy, good for the U.S. Space program -- and good for American taxpayers."

The test of the Antares launch system began with the rocket's rollout and placement on the launch pad April 6, and culminated with the separation of the mass simulator payload from the rocket.

The completed flight paves the way for a demonstration mission by Orbital to resupply the space station later this year. Antares will launch experiments and supplies to the orbiting laboratory carried aboard the company's new Cygnus cargo spacecraft through NASA's Commercial esupply Services (CRS) contract.

"Today's successful test flight of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket from the spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia, demonstrates an additional private space-launch capability for the United States and lays the groundwork for the first Antares cargo mission to the International Space Station later this year," said John Holdren, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. "The growing potential of America's commercial space industry and NASA's use of public-private partnerships are central to President Obama's strategy to ensure U.S. leadership in space exploration while pushing the bounds of scientific discovery and innovation in the 21st century. With NASA focusing on the challenging and exciting task of sending humans deeper into space than ever before, private companies will be crucial in taking the baton for American cargo and crew launches into low-Earth orbit.

"I congratulate Orbital Sciences and the NASA teams at Wallops, and look forward to more groundbreaking missions in the months and years ahead."

Orbital is building and testing its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. After successful completion of a COTS demonstration mission to the station, Orbital will begin conducting eight planned cargo resupply

flights to the orbiting laboratory through NASA's $1.9 billion CRS contract with the company.

NASA initiatives, such as COTS, are helping to develop a robust U.S. commercial space transportation industry with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. NASA's Commercial Crew Program also is working with commercial space partners to develop capabilities to launch U.S. astronauts from American soil in the next few years.

For more information about the upcoming Orbital test flights, and links to NASA's COTS and Commercial Crew programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital

For information on Orbital's Antares launch vehicle, visit:

http://www.orbital.com/Antares

Source

[thewild]

awesome!!

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Successful Launch for Antares

Orbital Sciences Antares rocket successfully launched at 5 p.m., Sunday,

April 21 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A at NASA's

Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. All system nominal. The Antares launch vehicle made its maiden flight Sunday, launching from Pad 0A at the Wallops Flight Facility, Va. at 5 p.m. Eastern time on a test flight that served as the precursor for a demonstration flight of its Cygnus resupply ship to the International Space Station later this year. Antares will be delivering a mass simulator payload to orbit 10 minutes after launch designed to mimic the Cygnus spacecraft's weight and characteristics

Source: NASAtelevision - YouTube Channel

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA Partner Orbital Sciences Test Launches Antares Rocket

› View larger

The Antares rocket clears the launch pad on its way to orbit. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corporation Sunday launched its Antares rocket at 5:00 p.m. EDT from the new Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The test flight was the first launch from the pad at Wallops and was the first flight of Antares, which delivered the equivalent mass of a spacecraft, a so-called mass simulated payload, into Earth's orbit.

"Today's successful test marks another significant milestone in NASA's plan to rely on American companies to launch supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station, bringing this important work back to the United States where it belongs," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "Congratulations to Orbital Sciences and the NASA team that worked alongside them for the picture-perfect launch of the Antares rocket. In addition to providing further evidence that our strategic space exploration plan is moving forward, this test also inaugurates America's newest spaceport capable of launching to the space station, opening up additional opportunities for commercial and government users.

"President Obama has presented a budget for next year that ensures the United States will remain the world leader in space exploration, and a critical part of this budget is the funding needed to advance NASA's commercial space initiative. In order to stop outsourcing American space launches, we need to have the President's budget enacted. It's a budget that's good for our economy, good for the U.S. Space program -- and good for American taxpayers."

The test of the Antares launch system began with the rocket's rollout and placement on the launch pad April 6, and culminated with the separation of the mass simulator payload from the rocket.

The completed flight paves the way for a demonstration mission by Orbital to resupply the space station later this year. Antares will launch experiments and supplies to the orbiting laboratory carried aboard the company's new Cygnus cargo spacecraft through NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.

"Today's successful test flight of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket from the spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia, demonstrates an additional private space-launch capability for the United States and lays the groundwork for the first Antares cargo mission to the International Space Station later this year," said John Holdren, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. "The growing potential of America's commercial space industry and NASA's use of public-private partnerships are central to President Obama's strategy to ensure U.S. leadership in space exploration while pushing the bounds of scientific discovery and innovation in the 21st century. With NASA focusing on the challenging and exciting task of sending humans deeper into space than ever before, private companies will be crucial in taking the baton for American cargo and crew launches into low-Earth orbit.

"I congratulate Orbital Sciences and the NASA teams at Wallops, and look forward to more groundbreaking missions in the months and years ahead."

Orbital is building and testing its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. After successful completion of a COTS demonstration mission to the station, Orbital will begin conducting eight planned cargo resupply flights to the orbiting laboratory through NASA's $1.9 billion CRS contract with the company.

NASA initiatives, such as COTS, are helping to develop a robust U.S. commercial space transportation industry with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. NASA's Commercial Crew Program also is working with commercial space partners to develop capabilities to launch U.S. astronauts from American soil in the next few years.

For more information about the upcoming Orbital test flights, and links to NASA's COTS and Commercial Crew programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital

For information on Orbital's Antares launch vehicle, visit:

http://www.orbital.com/Antares

Related Links

› White House Statement

› NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver's Blog

---

RELEASE: 13-114

Trent J. Perrotto

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-0321

trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov

Josh Byerly

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

josh.byerly@nasa.gov

Barry Beneski

Orbital Sciences Corp., Virginia

703-406-5528

beneski.barron@orbital.com

Source

[Merc14]

I don't know how I missed this thread as Wallops is just an hour and a half north. Regardless, well done Orbital

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Antares A-ONE Launch Rocket Cam

Ride along on Orbital's Antares rocket as it lifts-off from Wallops Island Virginia on its inaugural flight on April 21, 2013.

Source: Orbital Sciences - YouTube Channel

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Highlights of Antares A-ONE Launch

Highlights of Orbital's successful launch of its new Antares rocket on June 21, 21013 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) located on Wallops Island, Virginia.

Source: Orbital Sciences - YouTube Channel

[Merc14]

Wallops is getting bus. We are going to camp out up there for the next big launch.