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113 articles
RD-181 engines prepared for shipment to U.S.
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.
Orbital ATK targets resumption of Antares launches in March 2016
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.
Video2014’s top stories in spaceflight
The year ended with a deluge of big news, reminding us of the risks of spaceflight and the thin margins between success and failure on the final frontier. 2014 was also a year of breakthroughs in the exploration of the solar system and the future of human spaceflight.
First stage propulsion system is early focus of Antares investigation
The first sign of failure during the doomed launch of an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket from Virginia came from the rocket's first stage about 15 seconds after liftoff.
Initial damage assessment shows Antares pad intact
Initial inspections of the Antares rocket's launch pad in Virginia revealed the facility escape major damage after sustaining nearly a direct hit from the booster as it fell to the ground in flames seconds after liftoff.
Orbital Sciences hopes to quickly find cause of rocket failure
A day after an explosion that destroyed an Orbital Sciences Antares rocket carrying a space station cargo ship, officials said Wednesday they hope to zero in on the likely cause of the mishap within a week or so, based on a detailed review of telemetry, analysis of video and inspection of debris.
VideoAn eyewitness account: Wallops Island is burning
First, you see the rocket sputter, then pause suspended in mid-air and crash back to Earth in a blinding ball of flame. If you still have your wits, you brace for the blast wave.
VideoReporters run for cover as Antares rocket explodes
An Antares rocket explodes at Wallops Island moments after launch sending reporters and photographers at the press site running for cover.
Orbital Sciences rocket, station cargo ship, lost in spectacular launch mishap
An Orbital Sciences Antares rocket exploded seconds after launch from the Virginia coast Tuesday, erupting in a spectacular fireball and destroying the company's third operational Cygnus cargo ship in a disheartening failure for NASA's commercial space station resupply program.
Errant boat scrubs Antares launch from Virginia
Officials scrubbed the launch of an Antares rocket with fresh supplies for the International Space Station after a boat sailed into restricted waters off Virginia's Eastern Shore, violating safety rules for a widely-anticipated launch that was expected to be visible to millions along the U.S. East Coast.