Final Flight of Antares Rocket Marks the End of an Era

August 2, 2023 — An Antares rocket launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility tonight, carrying cargo, provisions, and science experiments to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission, known as NG-19, marked the final flight for this version of the Antares rocket. The rocket is set to be replaced with a newer model sometime next year.

About eight minutes into the flight, a Cygnus spacecraft separated from Antares’ second stage, carrying over 8,200 pounds of cargo for the current ISS crew. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Friday, August 4 at 5:54 a.m. ET. The launch and docking can be viewed live on NASA TV.

In line with their tradition of naming Cygnus spacecraft after influential individuals in spaceflight, the NG-19 Cygnus was christened the SS Laurel Clark, in honor of the late astronaut from the space shuttle Columbia. After reaching orbit, the SS Laurel Clark will take approximately 2.5 days to catch up to the ISS.

The current version of the Antares rocket, the Antares 230 series, is being retired due to disruptions in its supply lines caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Northrop Grumman, the manufacturer of the Antares, announced a collaboration with Firefly Aerospace to develop engines and a new first stage for an upgraded Antares 330 series rocket. Initially expected to launch in the latter half of next year, the timeline has been reassessed. The upgraded Antares is now projected to launch in the summer of 2025, with its first mission being the NG-23.

The SS Laurel Clark is carrying a diverse range of cargo to support the ISS crew. This includes more than 20 research investigations, equipment, and food supplies. The experiments cover various fields such as material science, technology demonstrations, and human health research. Some notable investigations include studies on cardiovascular regenerative techniques, therapies for neurological and genetic disorders, and degenerative retinal diseases.

Additionally, the NG-19 mission includes a flammability experiment conducted by NASA’s Glenn Research Center. This experiment, called Saffire-VI, aims to enhance our understanding of how fire behaves in low gravity. Other payloads include the Multi Needle Langmuir Probe (m-NLP) from the European Space Agency, which will help study plasma densities in Earth’s ionosphere, and a new potable water dispenser (PWD) for the station.

The NG-19 mission also supports educational outreach efforts. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has included a hard drive containing digital artwork from over 13,000 students across 74 schools. Another initiative, called the STORIES of Space Project, will deliver more than 300 written stories stored on SD-cards to engage space enthusiasts with space exploration.

After reaching the ISS, the SS Laurel Clark will be berthed at the Unity module’s nadir port. It will remain at the station until October before being loaded with station refuse and released into a decaying orbit, where it will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

As Northrop Grumman’s Antares 330 series is not yet operational, SpaceX has been contracted to fly the next few Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard its Falcon 9 rocket. The twentieth resupply mission, NG-20, is scheduled for November of this year. This marks the end of an era for the Antares rocket, but opens up new opportunities for the future of space exploration.