Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.
Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.
| Year | Historical missions | Forecast launches |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | 0 | 3 |
| 2027 | 0 | 3 |
| 2028 | 0 | 3 |
| 2029 | 0 | 3 |
| 2030 | 0 | 3 |
| 2031 | 0 | 3 |
| 2032 | 0 | 3 |
| 2033 | 0 | 3 |
| 2034 | 0 | 3 |
Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.
| Variant | Orbit | Capacity | Altitude | Inclination | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antares 330 | LEO | 10,500 kg | Unknown | 51.6 deg | Northrop Grumman Antares Rocket |
Latest launched missions using variants in this family.
| Mission | Variant | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| S.S. Laurel Clark Mission | Antares 230+ | Aug 2, 2023 |
| S.S. Sally Ride Mission | Antares 230+ | Nov 7, 2022 |
| S.S. Piers Sellers Mission | Antares 230+ | Feb 19, 2022 |
| S.S. Ellison Onizuka Mission |
Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.
| Variant | Stages | Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Antares 110 | Not stated | 2 | Retired |
Antares 120 | Not stated | 2 | Retired |
Antares 130 | Not stated | 1 | Retired |
Antares 230 | Not stated | 5 | Retired |
| 2035 | 0 | 3 |
| 2036 | 0 | 3 |
| 2037 | 0 | 3 |
| 2038 | 0 | 3 |
| 2039 | 0 | 3 |
| 2040 | 0 | 3 |
| 2041 | 0 | 3 |
1 launch location represented.
| Year | Location | Launches | Confidence | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2027 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2028 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2029 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2030 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2031 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2032 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2033 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2034 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2035 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2036 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2037 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2038 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2039 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2040 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. |
| 2041 | Wallops Flight Facility / MARS | Pad 0A | 3 | 35% | Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence. Site-year coverage backfill copied... |
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Antares 230+ |
| Aug 10, 2021 |
| S.S. Katherine Johnson | Antares 230+ | Feb 20, 2021 |
| S.S. Kalpana Chawla Mission | Antares 230+ | Oct 3, 2020 |
| S.S. Robert Lawrence Mission | Antares 230+ | Feb 15, 2020 |
| S.S. Alan Bean | Antares 230+ | Nov 2, 2019 |
Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.
| Mission | Variant | Announced |
|---|---|---|
No forecasted missionsNo upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family. | ||
Antares 230+ | Not stated | 8 | Retired |
Antares 330 | Not stated | 0 | Development |
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
Northrop Grumman describes Antares 330 for Cygnus cargo service; model as up to three annual launches for CRS-class cadence.
The Antares 330 serves as a transition to a future Medium Launch Vehicle that will replace a solid-fuel upper stage with a version of the Miranda engine to increase payload capacity to 16,000 kg.
The Antares 330 first stage increases Cygnus ISS mission payload performance from 8,120 kg to 10,500 kg.
While Antares 330 is in development, Northrop Grumman will launch three Cygnus missions, NG-20, NG-21, and NG-22, on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.
Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft launched from Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Firefly Aerospace partnered with Northrop Grumman in August 2022 to develop a new first stage for Northrop’s Antares rocket using engines Firefly is developing.
The Antares first-stage vehicle developed with Firefly engines is designated MLV and is intended to be offered to the Space Force for National Security Space Launch Phase 3.
NG-19 will be the last launch of the current version of Antares that uses a Russian RD-181 engine in its Ukrainian-built first stage.
Northrop Grumman entered a partnership with Firefly Aerospace announced in August 2024 to produce a new Antares first stage using engines under development by Firefly.
Northrop Grumman will build the Antares 330 with a first stage powered by seven Firefly-made Miranda engines.
The partnership between Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman was first established in August to build an all-American version of Northrop’s Antares rocket.
Northrop Grumman announced a partnership with Firefly Aerospace in August 2022 to develop a new first stage for Antares.
While the new Antares vehicle is in development, Northrop Grumman plans to launch three Cygnus spacecraft on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.
The NG-19 launch will be the last flight of the current version of the Antares rocket as Northrop Grumman works with Firefly Aerospace on a new Antares version that replaces the Ukrainian-built first stage and Russian engines.
NG-19 will be the last Cygnus spacecraft to launch on the current version of the Antares rocket as Northrop Grumman works with Firefly Aerospace on a new Antares first stage.
In the interim during the Antares hiatus, Northrop Grumman will launch Cygnus missions on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets from Florida.
The new Antares 330 will launch from Launch Pad 0A at MARS no earlier than late 2024.
Wallops currently hosts two Northrop Grumman Antares launches per year and an occasional Minotaur launch by Northrop Grumman.
Northrop Grumman agreed to buy at least three Falcon 9 launches to fly Cygnus cargo spacecraft as a stopgap between Antares retirement and a new version developed with Firefly Aerospace.
Debris from an insulation blanket on the Antares rocket lodged in NG-18 Cygnus’s solar array deployment mechanism, but Cygnus had enough power from the one deployed array to function and reached the International Space Station on 2022-11-09.
An Antares rocket launched the Cygnus spacecraft on 2022-11-07.