DESCRIPTION

Orbital Sciences Corporation and Yuzhnoye have developed the Antares medium-lift launch vehicle to deliver payloads to the International Space Station. The Antares launch vehicle comprises two tandem stages 3.9 m in diameter.

Antares is a two-stage rocket. Core structure of the Antares’ Stage 1 was developed and produced by Ukraine’s Yuzhnoye State Design Office and Yuzhmash Machine Building plant in cooperation with Ukraine’s Hartron-Arkos (Kharkiv), Hartron-Ucom (Zaporizhzhya), Chezara, Rapid (Chernihiv) and Kievprylad (Kyiv) etc. as ordered by the US corporation Northrop Grumman.

Antares pre-launch processing, testing and launch were supported by the specialists from Yuzhnoye State Design Office, Yuzhmash Machine Building plant and Hartron-Arkos. Real-time launch technical support, acquisition and processing of the telemetry information were provided and as a result, Ukrainian specialists have provided full scope of services in the area of their responsibility.