Orbital ATK Antares Rocket is a two-stage, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now part of Northrop Grumman) to provide low Earth orbit (LEO) access for small payloads, satellites and the International Space Station (ISS). The Antares rocket made its maiden flight on April 21, 2013 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia.
The first stage of the Antares rocket is powered by two Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engines, which are modified Soviet NK-33 engines originally built in the 1970s and intended for use on the N1 rocket. The second stage is powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne Castor 30XL motor. The Antares rocket can be configured with either a 5 meter or 13 meter fairing.
As of February 2018, Orbital ATK has launched 27Antares rockets; 27 from MARS and 1 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A as part of CRS Orb-3 mission. All launches have been successful.