This Week’s Launches
- August 1
- Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ CRS NG-19, 8:31 P.M. ET (Final Launch!)
- LP-0A, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia
- Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ CRS NG-19, 8:31 P.M. ET (Final Launch!)
- August 3
- SpaceX Falcon 9 Galaxy 37, 12:15 A.M. ET
- SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
- SpaceX Falcon 9 Galaxy 37, 12:15 A.M. ET
- August 4
- Rocket Lab Electron We Love the Nightlife, 1:00 A.M. ET
- LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand
- Rocket Lab Electron We Love the Nightlife, 1:00 A.M. ET
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Final launch of Northrop’s foreign supplied Antares
On a resupply mission to the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman will launch its final Antares 230+ rocket from Wallops Flight Facility, no earlier than Tuesday. Carrying a Cygnus cargo spacecraft, the rocket will dock with the station later this week. Notably, Cygnus can transport up to 3,000 kg of cargo to the ISS.
Sadly, the early retirement of the current Antares rocket resulted from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As Northrop relies on supplies from both Russia and Ukraine for its engines and first-stage booster, the conflict led to a halt in deliveries.
To overcome this situation, Northrop teamed up with Firefly last year to develop the new first stage, the 330 variant. However, the first launch of the Firefly Antares is still a few years away, leaving Cygnus without a ride. To fulfill its commitments to NASA, Northrop secured several flights on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to send its next missions to the ISS.
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NG-17 lifting off from Virgina. Image: Joe WakefieldSpaceX to launch next Intelsat communications satellite
Unlike the usual Starlink missions, SpaceX’s sole launch this week will take place no earlier than Thursday. They will send the Galaxy 37 communications satellite for Intelsat into a geostationary transfer orbit, marking SpaceX’s 53rd launch in 2023. As always, a booster landing on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean is planned, but the specific booster for this mission has not been disclosed yet.
Rocket Lab launching more Capella SAR sats
In addition, Rocket Lab is set for another launch from New Zealand, named “We Love the Nightlife.” The mission will deploy a third batch of Capella Space satellites into orbit. These satellites are equipped with synthetic aperture radar technology, enabling them to observe the Earth’s surface even during nighttime. The upcoming launch will carry Capella’s most advanced satellites, known as Acadia.
This being Rocket Lab’s eighth Electron launch of the year is an important step toward achieving its goal of reaching double digits before the year concludes.
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