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.
Northrop Grumman Corporation and Firefly Aerospace have partnered to provide an American-built first-stage upgrade for the Antares rocket and to develop a new medium launch vehicle for commercial, civil, and national security space launch markets.
Northrop Grumman will provide avionics and software, upper-stage structures, the Castor 30XL motor, vehicle integration, and launch pad operations for the Antares 330.
Northrop Grumman will provide vehicle integration and launch pad operations support for the Antares 330.
Northrop Grumman and Firefly plan to first develop a fully domestic version of the Antares rocket, the Antares 330, to support Cygnus space station commercial resupply services, followed by development of an entirely new medium-class launch vehicle.
Northrop Grumman is partnering with Firefly Aerospace to build a new version of the Antares rocket without Russian-made engines.
The Antares 330 performance upgrade will enable Northrop Grumman to continue supporting its current contracts while planning for future mission capabilities.
Northrop Grumman Corporation and Firefly Aerospace partnered to provide an American-built first-stage upgrade for the Antares rocket and to develop a new medium-class launch vehicle for commercial, civil, and national security space launch markets.
The Antares 330 performance upgrade will enable Northrop Grumman to continue supporting its current contracts while planning for future mission capabilities.
The Antares 330’s higher performance would enable Cygnus to deliver about 5,000 kg of cargo to the International Space Station, an increase of roughly 1,250 kg.
Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace will first develop a fully domestic version of the Antares rocket, the Antares 330, for Cygnus space station commercial resupply services.
Northrop Grumman will provide vehicle integration and launch pad operations support for the Antares 330.
Northrop Grumman completed first stages for two additional Antares launches, the first of which is scheduled for October 2022.
The Antares 330 will be able to place up to 10,500 kg into the insertion orbit used for ISS missions, compared to 8,100 kg for the current Antares.
The Antares 330 is designed to launch from the current pad at Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport that has hosted all previous Antares launches.
Ukraine’s Yuzhnoye State Design Office and Yuzhmash Machine Building plant produce the Antares first stage that is powered by RD-181 engines from Russia’s NPO Energomash.
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and Firefly Aerospace have partnered to provide an American-built first-stage upgrade for the Antares rocket and to develop a new medium-class launch vehicle for commercial, civil, and national security space launch markets.
The new version of Antares, called the Antares 330, will feature a first stage using seven Miranda engines under development by Firefly Aerospace.
Northrop Grumman intends the Antares 330 to be a fully domestic version of the Antares rocket to support Cygnus space station commercial resupply services.
The Antares 330 first stage will use Firefly Aerospace composites for its structure and tanks.
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket launched the NG-17 Cygnus on 2022-02-19, and the spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station two days later.