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Orbital Sciences has successfully completed the test launch of its new Antares rocket, as part of its preparation to deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).

Liftoff took place at 5pm (EDT) from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Nasa’s Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia, US.

After ten minutes, the payload was separated and the mission was completed in approximately 18 minutes, after the rocket’s upper stage succeeded planned manoeuvres to distance itself from the payload.

The test flight, dubbed the Antares A-ONE mission, marks the first launch from the pad at Wallops and the first flight of Antares, which delivered the equivalent mass of a spacecraft into Earth’s orbit.

It demonstrated all operational aspects of the new Antares launcher, including the ascent to space and accurate delivery of a simulated payload to a target orbit of approximately 150 by 160 miles, with an inclination of 51.6°.

A similar launch profile will be used by the launcher for Orbital’s upcoming cargo supply missions to the ISS for Nasa.

Orbital chairman and chief executive officer David Thompson said today marked a giant step forward for the Antares programme, with a fully successful inaugural flight of the largest and most complex rocket the company has developed and flown.

"With its successful test flight from the MARS pad at Wallops Island, we will now move forward toward completing the full demonstration mission of our system to resupply the International Space Station with essential cargo in just a couple of months," Thompson said.

"With its successful test flight from the MARS pad at Wallops Island, we will now move forward toward completing the full demonstration mission of our system to resupply the International Space Station with essential cargo in just a couple of months."

The test launch is a part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) space act agreement, which was signed by Orbital with Nasa in 2008.

In mid-2013, Orbital’s complete system is set to take a demonstration mission to the ISS, including the launch of the first Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft, with Orbital then beginning regular operational cargo delivery missions to the space station under its $1.9bn commercial resupply services (CRS) contract with Nasa.

The contract calls for the delivery of up to 44092.45lb of essential supplies to the ISS over eight separate missions from 2013 to 2016.

In addition, the new Antares rocket will provide other commercial, civil government and defence and intelligence customers with medium-class launch services for medium-class satellites that do not require more expensive launch vehicles.

Designed to launch spacecraft weighing up to 14,000lb into low-Earth orbit, as well as lighter-weight payloads into higher-energy orbits, the Orbital’s Antares medium-class launcher will provide a major increase in the payload launch capability that the company can provide to Nasa, the US Air Force and other customers.


Image: The Orbital Sciences Antares rocket is seen as it launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at the Nasa Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo: courtesy of Nasa/Bill Ingalls.

Defence Technology