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Antares A-ONE
2013 American test spaceflight / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Antares A-ONE mission was the maiden flight of Orbital Sciences Corporation' Antares launch vehicle including the ascent to space and accurate delivery of a simulated payload, the Cygnus Mass Simulator (CMS), which was launched 21 April 2013.[5] It was launched from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.[5] The simulated payload simulates the mass of the Cygnus cargo spacecraft.[5] This dummy payload was sent into an orbit of 240 km × 260 km (150 mi × 160 mi) with an orbital inclination of 51.6°, the same launch profile it uses for Orbital's Cygnus cargo supply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.[5]
![]() The Antares 110 lifts off at the start of the mission | |
Names | Simulated Cygnus Payload [1] |
---|---|
Mission type | Test flight |
Operator | Orbital Sciences Corporation |
COSPAR ID | 2013-016D |
SATCAT no. | 39145 |
Website | https://news.northropgrumman.com/ |
Mission duration | 19 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Cygnus mass simulator |
Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences Corporation |
Launch mass | 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) |
Dimensions | 5.061 m × 2.896 m (16.60 ft × 9.50 ft) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 21 April 2013, 21:00:00 UTC[2][3] |
Rocket | Antares 110[4] |
Launch site | Wallops Pad 0A |
Contractor | Orbital Sciences Corporation |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Deorbited |
Decay date | 10 May 2013 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit[5] |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Perigee altitude | 240 km (150 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 260 km (160 mi) |
Inclination | 51.6° |
![]() Orbital Sciences insignia |
This launch along with several other activities leading up to it, are paid milestones under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.[6]