This Week in Launches: Conclusion of an Antares chapter

This week we have three launches into space, one from SpaceX, one from Rocket Lab, and then one from Northrop Grumman. The biggest one will be from Northrop as it will be the final flight of its Antares 230+ rocket before moving the remaining Cygnus launches to SpaceX as it develops a new launcher.

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
• August 3
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 Galaxy 37, 12:15 A.M. ET
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
• August 4
  • Rocket Lab Electron We Love the Nightlife, 1:00 A.M. ET
    • LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand

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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.

SpaceX 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.