Janice Voss Returns to Space as ORB-2 Cygnus Stands Ready for Sunday Launch to ISS

By Ben Evans, on July 10th, 2014

Impressive view of the Antares vehicle (left) and the ORB-2 Cygnus, encapsulated within its bulbous payload shroud, pictured in the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) at Wallops. Photo Credit: Ken Kremer

Six months since it last lofted a Cygnus cargo vessel toward the International Space Station (ISS), Orbital Sciences Corp. is primed to fly […]

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Smartphone Photos From Orbit

By NASA, on May 6th, 2013

Image Credit: NASA Ames

These images of Earth were reconstructed from photos taken by three smartphones in orbit, or “PhoneSats.” The trio of PhoneSats launched on April 21, 2013, aboard the Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and ended a successful mission on April 27. The ultimate goal of the PhoneSat mission […]

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Antares Mission Flies Low-Cost Smartphone Satellites

By Ben Evans, on April 24th, 2013

As part of the qualification process, the PhoneSat systems were tested on high-altitude balloon flights. Photo Credit: NASA

When Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket roared into orbit Sunday, most eyes were focused on the performance of the new vehicle on its maiden voyage or on the deployment of an inert mass simulator for the […]

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Third Time's the Charm for Orbital's Antares

By Ben Evans, on April 21st, 2013

Orbital Sciences Corporation successfully launched the first of its Antares rockets today from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo Credit:Mark Usciak / AmericaSpace

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va — Orbital Sciences Corp. has successfully launched its Antares rocket on the long-delayed “A-ONE” test flight from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops […]

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Weather Forces Second Launch Scrub for Antares

By Ben Evans, on April 20th, 2013

With an unfortunate technical hitch having fouled the first launch attempt, Antares and the A-ONE mission were today thwarted by high winds. Photo Credit: Mark Usciak / AmericaSpace

Orbital Sciences’ new Antares booster must remained shackled to Earth for at least another 24 hours, having succumbed to its second launch delay in three […]

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Orbital’s Antares Rocket Targeted for Saturday Launch Attempt

By Ben Evans, on April 19th, 2013

The launch countdown was proceeding according to schedule, with just a few minutes remaining before launch when the problem cropped up. Photo Credit: Bennett Scarborough

Two days after a disappointing scrub, late in the countdown for its “A-ONE” maiden voyage, the Antares booster stands ready for a second launch attempt from Pad 0A […]

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Early Umbilical Separation Prompts Antares Launch Scrub

By Ben Evans, on April 17th, 2013

All dressed up and nowhere to go…at least, not yet. Orbital’s Antares booster waits patiently on Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), ahead of its maiden voyage. Today’s launch attempt was scrubbed in the final minutes of the countdown. Photo Credit: Mark Usciak / AmericaSpace

Despite fluctuating worries about cloudy weather […]

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Wallops Flight Facility Enters Spotlight With Orbital's Antares Launch

By Mark Usciak, on April 17th, 2013

With the addition of Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket to the Wallops Flight Facility manifest, the sleepy center takes center stage in terms of commercial space operations. Photo Credit: Mark Usciak / AmericaSpace

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va — Until recently, NASA’s Wallops Research Center, located in Virginia, was one of NASA’s lesser-known centers. This […]

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Orbital’s Antares Primed for A-ONE Maiden Launch

By Ben Evans, on April 16th, 2013

Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket is raised to the vertical position at Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on 6 April 2013. Photo Credit: Mark Usciak / AmericaSpace

In the early days of space exploration, the frequent term of the week was “A-OK,” but for Orbital Sciences Corp. this week everything will […]

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Orbital Readies For 'A-ONE' Test Flight

By Jim Hillhouse, on March 15th, 2013

The first launch of an Orbital Science Corporation’s Antares rocket is scheduled to take place between Apr. 16-18. Image Credit: Orbital

Orbital Sciences (OSC) is readying Antares, its medium-class launch vehicle, for its first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) test flight, “A-ONE”, currently scheduled to take place between April 16 and 18, from […]

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