US sign $1Bn contract for Russian RD-181 rocket engines for US Antares Launcher

Deespite US sanctions against Russia, Russian manufacturer, Energia, announced on Friday a $1 billion deal to supply engines for the US Antares rockets making deliveries to the International Space Station.

Energia said in a statement that it had signed the bumper deal to build 60 engines with private US firm Orbital Science, which has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA to supply the space station.

Deliveries of the new RD-181 engines would start in June, the statement said.

The agreement comes after an Orbital Science rocket suffered a catastrophic engine failure in October, forcing an end to its supply missions until further notice.

An unmanned Antares rocket packed with thousands of pounds of gear for astronauts exploded seconds after lift-off in the US, costing the company some $200 million.

The company said after the accident that a suspected rocket engine failure led a control operator to detonate the rocket in order to prevent damage to people in the area.

The firm pledged a speedy upgrade to its systems after saying that the engines used to power the Antares rocket were a pair of decades-old Ukrainian-designed AJ-26s, that were refurbished by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The International Space Station is a rare area of US-Russian cooperation that has not been hit by the crisis in Ukraine, which has prompted Washington to impose sanctions on Moscow.

Orbital Science Antares rocket launch delayed - Boat in Safe Zone

Orbital Sciences postponed its planned launch of the Cygnus cargo ship toward the International Space Station on Monday due to a boat in the waters near the Virginia launch pad.

"Tonight's launch of the Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus cargo craft has been scrubbed," a NASA commentator said on the US space agency's live broadcast.

The boat was located inside the rocket's designated safety range, just to the southeast, and Orbital decided it was too risky to send the rocket soaring overhead.

Attempts to contact the boat were unsuccessful, NASA said, and the liftoff had to be scrubbed 10 minutes before it was scheduled to go.

"Tonight's Antares launch has been postponed because of a ship in the mariner avoidance area," Orbital said on its launch blog.

The next launch attempt is expected Tuesday at 6:19 pm (2219 GMT).

The cargo ship is aiming to make its third contracted mission with NASA, carrying nearly 5,000 pounds (2,200 kilograms) of supplies and science experiments for the six orbiting astronauts.

Orbital Science: Antares rocket engine suffers significant failure during test

Hotfire test of Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engines on the E-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Jan 17, 2014. 

Credit: NASA

A Russian built rocket engine planned for future use in the first stage of Orbital Sciences Corp. commercial Antares rocket launching to the International Space Station failed during pre-launch acceptance testing on Thursday afternoon, May 22, at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

"There was a test failure at Stennis yesterday afternoon (May 22)," Orbital Sciences spokesman Barry Beneski told reporters.

The Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engine failed with extensive damage about halfway through the planned test aimed at qualifying the engine for an Antares flight scheduled for early next year.

"Engineers are examining data to determine the cause of the failure," Beneski said.


The test was initiated at about 3:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday and the anomaly occurred approximately 30 seconds into the planned 54-second test.

"It terminated prematurely, resulting in extensive damage to the engine," Orbital said in a statement.

An investigation into the incident by Aerojet and NASA has begun. The cause of the failure is not known.

"During hot-fire testing on May 22 at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Aerojet Rocketdyne's AJ26 engine experienced a test anomaly. The company is leading an investigation to determine the cause," Aerojet spokesperson Jessica Pieczonka told reporters.

Fortunately no one was hurt.

"There were no injuries," Pieczonka confirmed.

Up close view of two AJ26 first stage engines at the base of an Antares rocket at NASA Wallops. 

These engines powered the successful Antares liftoff on Jan. 9, 2014 at NASA Wallops, Virginia. 

Credit: Ken Kremer

A team of NASA, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Lockheed Martin engineers tests all of the AJ26 engines on the E-1 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center before delivering them to the launch site at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The testing program began in November 2010.

"Stennis will perform checkouts to the facility to ensure its operational integrity," NASA Stennis spokesperson Rebecca Strecker told reporters.

Antares first stage is powered by a pair of liquid oxygen and kerosene fueled AJ26-62 engines that deliver a combined 734,000 pounds (3265 kilonewtons) of sea level thrust.

To date, the AJ26 engines have performed flawlessly through a total of three Antares launches from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

They measure 3.3 meters (10.9 feet) in height and weigh 1590 kg (3,500 lb.).

The next Antares rocket is slated to blastoff on June 10 with the Cygnus cargo freighter on the Orb-2 resupply mission to the ISS.

As of today, it's not known whether the June flight will have to be postponed.

"It is too early to tell if upcoming Antares flights will be affected," Beneski said.

Side view of two AJ26 first stage engines at the base of an Antares rocket. 

These engines powered the successful Antares liftoff on Jan. 9, 2014 at NASA Wallops, Virginia. 

Credit: Ken Kremer

The most recent launch of the two stage rocket took place this past winter on Jan. 9, 2014 on the Orb-1 resupply mission.

The AJ26 engines were originally known as the NK-33 and built in the Soviet Union for their manned moon landing program.

Aerojet extensively modified, checked and tested the NK-33 engines now designated as the AJ26-62 to qualify them for use in the first stage Antares core, which is manufactured in Ukraine by the Yuznoye Design Bureau and based on the Zenit launch vehicle.

"Each test of an AJ26 engine is exciting and affirming because it is in direct support of NASA's commercial space flight efforts, as well as a continuation of a very successful Stennis partnership with Orbital and Aerojet Rocketdyne," Stennis Director Rick Gilbrech said in an earlier statement.

Orbital Sciences technicians at work on two AJ26 first stage engines at the base of an Antares rocket. 

These engines powered the successful Antares liftoff on Jan. 9, 2014 at NASA Wallops, Virginia bound for the ISS. 

Credit: Ken Kremer

Orbital Sciences was awarded a $1.9 Billion supply contract by NASA to deliver 20,000 kilograms of research experiments, crew provisions, spare parts and hardware for 8 flights to the ISS through 2016 under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) initiative.

The June mission would be the second operational Antares/Cygnus flight.

Orbital Science Cygnus: Supply ship departs space station after five weeks

Orbital Science's Cygnus Supply ship ended its five-week visit Tuesday morning. 

NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins used Canadarm, the space station's robot arm, to release the capsule, as the orbiting lab sailed 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the South Atlantic.

Cygnus is filled with garbage and will burn up Wednesday when it plunges through the atmosphere, over the Pacific.

After a number of delays, Orbital Sciences Corp. launched the capsule last month from Virginia under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA.

The Cygnus successfully delivered 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) of goods, including belated Christmas gifts for the six-man crew and hundreds of ants for a student experiment.

The ants are still aboard the space station. They'll return to Earth aboard another company's cargo ship, the SpaceX Dragon.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., (SpaceX) based in Southern California—will launch its next Dragon from Cape Canaveral on March 16 with a fresh load of supplies.



NASA is paying Orbital Sciences and SpaceX to keep the space station stocked. Russia, Japan and Europe also take turns making deliveries.

The SpaceX Dragon is the only craft capable of safely returning a pile of items, now that NASA's space shuttles are retired.

The resolute Russian Soyuz crew capsule is not built for staorage. It has just enough room for three astronauts and a few odds and ends.

A handful of American companies, including SpaceX, are working to develop craft to carry space station crews. Until that happens, NASA must continue to buy seats for its astronauts on the elderly but reliable, Soyuz Progress.

Americans have not launched from U.S. soil since the last shuttle flight in 2011. NASA expects it will be 2017 before U.S. astronauts rocket into orbit from their homeland.

Orbital Science's Cygnus Spacecraft docks with ISS - Video

The ISS's robotic arm captured the Orbital Sciences' cargo vehicle on January 12, 2014. It is carrying supplies and science experiments.

Credit: NASA

Orbital Science's Antares rocket launch Jan 7th 2014

The Antares rocket for Orbital Science's A-ONE inaugural mission is hoisted inside Wallops' Horizontal Integration Facility for placement on its transporter. 

Credit: Orbital Science

The NASA Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Corp. Antares rocket at 1:55 p.m. EST, Jan. 7.

The Antares rocket will carry Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.

The cargo craft will be filled with 2,780 pounds of supplies for the station, including vital science experiments to expand the research capability of the Expedition 38 crew members aboard the orbiting laboratory, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware.

Also aboard the flight are 23 student experiments that will involve more than 10,000 students on the ground.

These experiments will involve life sciences topics ranging from amoeba reproduction to calcium in the bones to salamanders.

The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout the mid-Atlantic region from New York City to North Carolina.

Cygnus Spacecraft: Orbital-1 Mission Pre-Launch Preparations

An Orbital Science Corporation Antares rocket is seen on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2013 as it is rolled out to launch Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, VA. 

The Antares is scheduled to launch a Cygnus spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 9:19 p.m. EST. 

The Orbital-1 mission is Orbital Sciences' first contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. 

Among the cargo aboard Cygnus set to launch to the space station are science experiments, crew provisions, spare parts and other hardware.

Weather permitting, it may be widely visible along the east coast of the United States.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Orbital Science Dragon Spacecraft captured by ISS Canadarm-2

The Orbital Sciences' vehicle was captured by the International Space Station's robotic arm on September 29th, 2013.

Credit: NASA

Orbital Science: Preparation of NASA IRIS on Pegasus XL Launcher

Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS (Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph) spacecraft. 

The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit. 

The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base, where IRIS is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. 

Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg on June 26, 2013, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun's corona using spectrometry and imaging. 

IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. 

Photo Credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin

Orbital Science's Antares Rocket Launch Aborted - Umbilical came loose

Orbital Science Corp will have to wait for another day after an umbilical came loose some 12 minutes before the scheduled launch time on April 17th, 2013.

The Antares rocket is a 13-story-tall booster designed to launch the company's new Cygnus spacecraft on unmanned cargo delivery missions to the International Space Station. Orbital has a $1.9 billion deal with NASA to fly eight cargo flights to the space station under the agency's Commercial Resupply Services program, but first needs to demonstrate that the two-stage Antares rocket is fit for those missions.

With the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011, the space agency is depending on new commercial spacecraft like Orbital's Cygnus to keep the space station stocked with supplies.

NASA eventually plans to use private spaceships to ferry American astronauts to and from the space station as well.

Orbital Sciences is one of two companies with contracts to launch unmanned cargo delivery flights to the space station.

The other is Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., which has a $1.6 billion deal to provide 12 cargo delivery missions using its Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon space capsules.