Antares General Discussion Thread

[trimeta]

I wanted to have users give their opinion on whether or not the launch frequency of the Antares 300 series will rival or exceed that of the Antares 200 series now that the Antares 200 series is now retired because the first stage of the Antares 300 series will use the Miranda engines that also will power the Firefly Aerospace MLV, and the forthcoming cargo version of the Dream Chaser spaceplane will create not two, but three companies supplying freight to the ISS under the CRS program.

Antares flight rate has nothing with the type of first stage.  It is driven by ISS demand and contracts.

I suspect the question being asked is whether Antaras will get any other non ISS customers

I would expect that with its solid-motor second (and final) stage, only ISS customers (that is, those whose payloads already have enough delta-v to make it to the station and then deorbit themselves quickly) can really fly on Antares 330 without needing a separate liquid kick stage. Although as Vahe231991 notes, with Dream Chaser coming online, that's a second non-SpaceX cargo vehicle going to the ISS (I assume that crew-rating Antares 330 isn't on the table).

[TrevorMonty]

MLV will have Miranda powered upper stage and reuseable booster. Most likely Antares + Castor will be retired once MLV is reuseable.

Being neigbours wonder if Neutron and MLV will share some facilities eg landing pad, barge's wharf. While they maybe competitors both companies stand to save money by using same facilities.

[AndrewM]

My understanding is Antares 330 is more of a temporary LV before making the swap to MLV. I personally am not expecting any commercial customers for Antares 330 and so flight rate would be dictated by the remaining CRS2 missions.

[sdsds]

Does Antares still exist (will the 330 fly?) or has it been eclipsed by Eclipse?

[lightleviathan]

Does Antares still exist (will the 330 fly?) or has it been eclipsed by Eclipse?

330 will fly then transfer over to Eclipse after Cygnus flights are over, it’s basically the same rocket with a different second stage.

[AndrewM]

Does Antares still exist (will the 330 fly?) or has it been eclipsed by Eclipse?

330 will fly then transfer over to Eclipse after Cygnus flights are over, it’s basically the same rocket with a different second stage.

Yep, Antares 330 has 3 flights which were NG-23 through NG-25 before NG-22 was damaged. I expect that NG-23 is likely taking NG-22's F9 flight and a while ago there was a sole source selection document for an additional Cygnus flight (would be NG-26) I'd expect Antares 330 to take NG-24 & 25 and then NG-22A (or whatever it ends up being) and/or NG-26 before retiring. It is possible that the other flight moves to Eclipse if they want to stick with just 3 Antares 330 flights.

Some news/updates from SpaceCom 2025.

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1884675536665862176 [Jan 29]

Nicole Jordan Martinez, Business Development and Strategy, Launch Vehicles Division, @northropgrumman, says the Antares 330 will fly three times before transitioning to the Medium Launch Vehicle.

Both will fly a first stage built by @Firefly_Space and Firefly will provide the upper stage of MLV as well.

Aaron Prescott, Sr. Director, Global Commercial Sales, Firefly Aerospace, says they’re “on track” for delivery of the Miranda engines and the A330 first stage, but doesn’t elaborate on a date.

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1884681139505266741

Prescott says they expect to deliver the first A330 first stage to Northrop Grumman this year. Says they’ve completed 52 tests of the Miranda engines, including a full power firing.

Jordan Martinez says the A330’s three flights will be to send Cygnus spacecraft to the ISS.

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1884683675800924469

Jordan Martinez says they looking at launching from Vandenberg for the MLV.

Prescott adds that Firefly still has a lease on SLC-20 at Cape Canaveral and says they “hope to bring MLV there.”