Orbital Antares User Manual

Page 4

Antares

OSP-3

User’s Guide

Preface

Release 1.1

July 2013

MEDIUM-CLASS LAUNCH SERVICES FOR THE 21

CENTURY

Orbital Sciences Corporation’s (Orbital’s) Antares

is a flight proven two stage launch vehicle designed

to provide responsive, cost effective, and reliable access to orbit for Medium-Class payloads.

While the

initial Antares missions will demonstrate the capability to perform commercial resupply of the International
Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and Commercial
Resupply Services (CRS) contracts, the Antares launch system also meets the needs and mission suc-
cess standards of Medium-Class defense, science, and commercial missions. The Antares development,
internally funded by Orbital, includes the following features:



Low-Risk Design: Antares incorporates flight

proven components from leading global suppliers,
and largely utilizes subsystem designs successfully
employed on other Orbital launch vehicles.



Leveraging Flight Proven Technologies: The

Antares first stage is powered by dual AJ26 en-
gines. Aerojet has modernized these engines with
updated avionics and control systems. The Antares

second stage relies on proven ATK CASTOR

solid

rocket motors and Orbital’s Modular Avionics Con-
trol Hardware (MACH) electronics technology.



Fills Medium-Class Launch Services Gap:

Antares fills the service gap between

Orbital’s Me-

dium-Light Minotaur IV launch vehicle and larger,
Intermediate-Class vehicles on the market.

This Antares OSP-3 User's Guide describes the
basic elements of the Antares system as well as
available optional services under the Orbital Subor-
bital Program-3 (OSP-3) Launch Services Contract.
In addition, this document provides general vehicle
performance, defines payload accommodations and
environments, and outlines the Antares mission
integration process. The descriptions contained in
this Antares OSP-3

User’s Guide will familiarize

potential customers with the Antares launch sys-
tem, its capabilities and its associated services.
The data presented provides the current capabilities

and interfaces of the Antares launch system, with
the goal of enabling potential customers to perform
mission feasibility trade studies and complete pre-
liminary mission designs. Detailed analyses are
performed by Orbital based on the requirements
and characteristics of each specific mission.