Ground crews transferred an Antares rocket out of an assembly building to a launch pad on Virginia’s Eastern Shore in a major step before liftoff on Orbital Sciences’ third flight to resupply the International Space Station.
Orbital Sciences Corp. is set to launch its next commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station on Monday after inspections revealed a rocket tracking station in Bermuda weathered a direct hit from Hurricane Gonzalo last week.
Orbital Sciences Corp. has selected a new first stage propulsion system for its Antares rocket that will offer improved performance for launches beginning in 2017, the company’s chief executive said.
Orbital Sciences Corp. plans to select a long-term propulsion supplier for the Antares rocket used to launch cargo to the International Space Station in the next few weeks, in time to include a potentially redesigned launcher in a bid for a follow-on NASA resupply contract.