Orbital Antares - Manual (Page 19)

Antares
®
OSP-3
User’s Guide
Section 3.0
– Performance
Release 1.1 July 2013 8
3. PERFORMANCE
This section describes the orbital performance capabilities of the Antares vehicle. Antares can deliver
payloads to a variety of altitudes and to a range of posigrade and retrograde inclinations. High Energy
missions can also be achieved through the addition of an optional STAR 48BV third stage (see Section
8).
3.1. Mission Design
Orbital will provide the USAF with a mission design for each payload optimized to meet critical require-
ments while satisfying payload, launch vehicle, and Range Safety constraints. Launch site selection, as-
cent trajectory design, and post-injection deployment design are developed and verified during the An-
tares mission design process.
3.1.1. Mission Integration
Mission requirements are detailed in the specific mission Interface Control Document (ICD) that is devel-
oped as part of the payload/launch vehicle mission integration process. The Antares Mission Manager
works with the USAF and their customer to optimize requirements parameters to best suit both spacecraft
and Antares launch vehicle capabilities. Special mission requirements (e.g. argument of perigee, point-
ing, etc.) are addressed on a mission-specific basis. Mission requirements drive elements of the trajecto-
ry design, including maximum dynamic pressure, launch azimuth constraints, free molecular heating at
fairing separation, etc. When applicable, the launch site is selected based on orbit inclination require-
ments, as shown in Figure 3.1.1-1.
3.1.2. Launch Sites
The baseline Antares launch operations are from WFF. WFF supports easterly launch azimuths, some
high inclination missions, and high energy launches. For missions requiring greater performance to high
inclination polar or sun-synchronous orbits, Orbital offers KLC located on Kodiak Island, Alaska as an en-
hancement. A discussion of this capability and performance from KLC is provided in Section 3.4.
3.2. Mission Profile
A typical mission profile for an Antares 120 vehicle with the CASTOR 30B second stage from WFF to
LEO is shown in Figure 3.2-1. The Antares lifts off the pad 2 seconds after Stage 1 ignition. Stage 1
burns for 234 seconds, and separates after a brief post-burn coast. The upper stage stack continues to
coast for approximately 85 seconds before the fairing is jettisoned. After fairing jettison, Stage 2 is ig-
nited. Stage 2 burnout occurs approximately 488 seconds into the flight, and the upper stack continues to
coast for another 120 seconds before the payload is separated. Once the payload has separated, the
Stage 2 performs a Collision/Contamination Avoidance Maneuver (CCAM) to ensure no potential exists
for recontact with the payload.