Follow the key events of the Antares rocket’s ascent into orbit from launch pad 0A at Wallops Island, Va., carrying a Cygnus supply ship with cargo for the International Space Station.
T+0:00:00: Main Engine Ignition
The Antares rocket’s two AJ26 engines ignite on the launch pad.
T+0:00:02.1: Liftoff
Producing about 730,000 pounds of thrust, the rocket’s two main engines propel the 139-foot-tall Antares rocket into the sky.
T+0:03:54: Main Engine Cutoff
After consuming its supply of kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants, the Antares first stage shuts down at an altitude of about 62 miles.
T+0:04:00: Stage Separation
The first stage separates from the second stage, which begins a 41-second coast phase.
T+0:04:29: Fairing Jettison
After flying out of the dense lower atmosphere, the Antares rocket jettisons its clamshell-like 12.8-foot-diameter payload fairing.
T+0:04:34: Interstage Jettison
The interstage adapter connecting the first and second stages is jettisoned.
T+0:04:41: Second Stage Ignition
The rocket’s solid-fueled Castor 30XL second stage ignites at an altitude of 87 miles, ramping up to a maximum power of 120,000 pounds of thrust during a 166-second burn.
T+0:07:27: Second Stage Burnout
The Castor 30XL second stage burns out after reaching a target orbit with a perigee of 128 miles, an apogee of 183 miles, and an inclination of 51.64 degrees.
T+0:09:27: Cygnus Separation
The Antares rocket’s second stage deploys the Cygnus spacecraft in orbit.
The first pair of RD-181 rocket engines set to launch on Orbital ATK’s redesigned Antares rocket are in the final stages of acceptance testing in Russia ahead of their export to the United States in early July, officials said.
Space station resupply missions launched from Virginia are set to resume in March 2016, after Orbital ATK integrates newly-built rocket engines into the Ukrainian-made booster stage of the company’s commercial Antares rocket and puts it through an on-pad test firing in January.
A year after a launch mishap left Orbital ATK’s Cygnus supply ship without a ride to the International Space Station, company officials say the cargo delivery system is on the verge of a comeback, thanks to deals with United Launch Alliance and a decision to redesign its Antares booster with new rocket engines.
