ANTARES 110, 120, 130, 230 - Vehicle use: Cygnus
American orbital launch vehicle. The Antares launch system is a two-stage vehicle (with optional third stage), designed by Orbital ATK, that provides launch capability to low Earth orbit for payloads weighing up to 8,000 kg. Antares’ first stage is powered by two RD-181 engines burning liquid oxygen and kerosene, and the second stage is powered by the Orbital ATK CASTOR® 30XL solid motor (CASTOR 120 heritage).
source: http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/Antares/Pages/default.aspx
Variant
All variants
110
120
130
230
230+
Launches
14
2
2
1
5
4
Failures
1
0
0
1
0
0
Realized
0.93
1.00
1.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
Predicted
0.88
0.75
0.75
0.33
0.86
0.83
50
51
53
52
55
56
54
57
58
59
60
61
63
62
64
65
67
66
69
68
70
71
72
73
74
75
77
76
79
78
81
80
83
82
85
84
86
87
88
89
90
91
93
92
95
94
96
97
99
00
98
01
02
03
04
07
05
06
09
08
11
10
13
12
15
14
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
10/28/2014 - Antares 130 ISS Cargo Resupply Mission CRS-3
CATASTROPHIC FIRE/EXPLOSION IN FIRST STAGE ENGINE
5th Antares launch
1st flight with the Castor-30XL upper stage
3rd Orbital ATK Cargo Resupply Mission to the International Space Station
At approximately 15 seconds after liftoff, an explosion occurred within the AJ26 rocket engine liquid oxygen (LO2) turbopump installed in the first stage main engine 1 positon of the Antares-130 launch vehicle. The explosion caused the launch vehicle to lose thrust, fall back to Earth, and impact the ground, resulting in total destruction of the vehicle and its cargo. The root cause was isolated to three most probable causes: 1) inadequate design margins in the LO2 turbopump bearings, 2) foreign object debris introduced into the LO2 turopump, or 3) LO2 turbopump manufacturing and workmanship defects. The J26 rocket engines were replaced with Energomash RD-181 engines on subsequent Antares launch vehicles.
SOURCES:
NASA Independant Review Orb-3 Accident Investigation Report
VIDEO:
ISS Antares Explodes Seconds After Launch
0.83
0.75
0.86
0.78
0.91
0.85
0.89
0.82
0.92
0.87
0.93
0.88
1.00
0.75
0.80
0.71
Reaized Rate
Predicted Rate