Cygnus Orb-3

{{main|Cygnus (spacecraft)}}

File:Cygnus spacecraft loading for Orbital CRS-3.jpg

This would have been the third of eight flights by Orbital Sciences under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. This was the first attempted flight of the Antares 130, which uses a more powerful Castor 30XL second stage, and the last flight of the standard-sized Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module.

In an Orbital Sciences tradition, this Cygnus spacecraft was named S.S. Deke Slayton after one of NASA's original Mercury Seven astronauts and Director of Flight Operations, who died in 1993.{{cite web|url=https://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-3/default.aspx|title=ISS Commercial Resupply Services Mission (Orb-3): 22 October 2014|publisher=Orbital Sciences |date=22 October 2014|access-date=24 October 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025024734/https://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-3/default.aspx|archive-date=25 October 2014|url-status=dead}} As the launch failed, the next spacecraft was also named after Deke Slayton.{{cite press release |title=Orbital ATK's Cargo Delivery Mission to International Space Station Set to Launch |date=1 December 2015 |publisher=Orbital ATK |url=https://www.orbital.com/news-room/release.asp?prid=103 |access-date=2 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 December 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208161633/https://www.orbital.com/news-room/release.asp?prid=103}}

{{LaunchAttempt

| date1 = 2014-10-27 18:45

| result1 = Scrubbed

| reason1 = Range

| notes1 = Sailboat entered the range safety zone.

| date2 = 2014-10-28 18:22:38

| result2 = Failure

| reason2 = Technical

| decision_date2 = 2014-10-28 18:23:01

| decision_clock2 = +00:00:23

| notes2 = LOX turbopump failure in the first stage engine caused the rocket to fall back onto the pad, but was destroyed by range safety.

}}

The mission was scheduled to launch on 27 October 2014 at 22:45{{nbsp}}UTC from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at the Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, with rendezvous and berthing with the ISS early in the morning on 2 November 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/content/first-nighttime-launch-of-the-antares-rocket-scheduled-oct-27-from-wallops/|title=First Nighttime Launch of the Antares Rocket Scheduled October 27 From Wallops|publisher=NASA|agency=Orbital Sciences|date=22 October 2014|access-date=24 October 2014}} {{PD-notice}} This was the first night-time launch for both the Antares launcher and Cygnus spacecraft. The launch was scrubbed due to safety concerns of a sailboat entering the exclusion zone less than ten minutes before launch. A 24-hour delay was put in place, with the next launch opportunity scheduled for 22:22:38{{nbsp}}UTC on 28 October 2014.

File:Antares Fails to Reach Orbit with Cygnus CRS-3 after Rocket Explodes.webm

The Antares rocket carrying the Orb-3 Cygnus launched as scheduled from Launch Pad 0A on 28 October 2014. Fifteen seconds after liftoff a failure of propulsion occurred in the first stage. The vehicle began falling back to the launch pad and the Range Safety Officer engaged its flight termination system just before impact.{{cite web|url=http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-3/|title=Orb-3 Mission Updates|publisher=Orbital Sciences}}{{cite news |url=http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/10/31/orbital-begins-piecing-together-what-destroyed-antares-rocket/|title=First stage propulsion system is early focus of Antares investigation|publisher=Spaceflight Now |first=Stephen|last=Clark|date=31 October 2014}}

The resulting explosion was felt in Pocomoke City, Maryland, {{cvt|20|mi|km}} away.{{cite web|url=http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2014/10/29/rocket-explosion-reaction/18120185/ |title=Explosion witness: "It looked like an atomic bomb"|publisher=Delmarva Daily Times|first=Carol|last=Vaughn|date=29 October 2014}} The fire at the site was quickly contained and allowed to burn itself out overnight.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/28/us/nasa-rocket-explodes/index.html|title=Unmanned NASA-contracted rocket explodes over eastern Virginia|publisher=CNN |date=29 October 2014|access-date=29 October 2014}} Initial review of telemetry data found no abnormalities in the pre-launch, the launch sequence, and the flight, until the time of the failure.

In a press release, NASA stated that there were no known issues prior to launch and that no personnel were injured or missing but that the entire payload was lost and there was significant damage to the launch pad.{{cite web|title=NASA, Orbital CRS-3 Press Conference Scheduled|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/orbital.html|publisher=NASA|access-date=29 October 2014}} {{PD-notice}}{{cite news|url=http://www.space.com/27576-private-orbital-sciences-rocket-explosion.html|title=Private Orbital Sciences Rocket Explodes During Launch, NASA Cargo Lost|publisher=SPACE.com|last1=Wall|first1=Mike|date=28 October 2014|access-date=28 October 2014}} On 29 October 2014, teams of investigators began examining debris at the crash site,{{cite news |date=29 October 2014 |title=Teams investigate failure of unmanned rocket off Virginia coast |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/29/us/rocket-explodes-off-virginia/index.html |access-date=29 October 2014 |work=CNN}} while a survey the same day found that there was no serious damage to the launch pad and site fuel tanks, although repairs would be required.{{cite news |url=http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/10/31/initial-assessment-shows-antares-pad-intact/|title=Initial damage assessment shows Antares pad intact|publisher=Spaceflight Now|first=Stephen|last=Clark|date=31 October 2014|access-date=13 March 2016}}

Subsequent investigation found that the LOX turbopump had exploded, which in turn, caused a shock wave that severed surrounding propellant lines and started a fire from leaking fuel. The fire damaged various components in the thrust section leading to the engines gradually being shut down, although a specific reason for the failure could not be determined. Possible causes were a defective pump bearing, ingestion of loose debris, or a manufacturing defect.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/orb3_irt_execsumm_0.pdf|title=NASA Independent Review Team: Orb–3 Accident Investigation Report, Executive Summary|publisher=NASA|date=9 October 2015}} {{PD-notice}}

Orb-3 carried a variety of NASA-manifested payloads, some determined fairly late in the days before the launch. The Cygnus cargo vehicle carried {{cvt|4883|lb|kg|order=flip}} of supplies and experiments meant for the International Space Station.{{cite press release|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Orbital_CRS3_press_kit.pdf|title=Orbital CRS-3 Mission to the International Space Station: Media Press Kit|publisher=NASA|date=October 2014|access-date=2 September 2018}} {{PD-notice}} It included some CubeSats to be launched from the International Space Station.

Planet Labs was launching Flock-1d, its next flock of 26 Earth observation nanosatellites.{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/flock-1.htm|title=Flock-1a, −1b, −1c, −1d, −1e|publisher=Skyrocket.de|access-date=29 October 2014}} After the accident they stated that this would not set them back due to their approach to space involving many satellites in various constellations.{{cite web|url=https://www.planet.com/pulse/space-is-hard/|title=Space is hard: Antares rocket failure|publisher=Planet.com|access-date=29 October 2014}}

Arkyd-3 was a 3U CubeSat technology demonstrator from private company Planetary Resources (PRI). PRI had packaged a number of the non-optical satellite technologies of its larger Arkyd-100 telescope satellite—essentially the entire base of the Arkyd-100 satellite model revealed in January 2013,{{cite news|url=https://www.engadget.com/2013/01/21/planetary-resources/|title=Planetary Resources shows off Arkyd-100 prototype, gives a tour of its workspace|publisher=Engadget|first=Bryan |last=Heater|date=21 January 2013|access-date=23 January 2013}} but without the space telescope—into a "cost-effective box" of Arkyd 3, or A3, for early in-space flight testing as a subscale nanosatellite. The Arkyd-3 testbed satellite was packaged as a 3U CubeSat form-factor of {{convert|10|*|10|*|30|cm}}. PRI contracted with NanoRacks to take the A3 to the ISS where it was planned to be released from the airlock in the Kibō module.{{cite news|url=http://www.space.com/20817-asteroid-mining-satellite-test-flight.html |title=Private Asteroid-Mining Project Launching Tiny Satellites in 2014|publisher=Space.com|first=Mike|last=Wall|date=24 April 2013|access-date=25 April 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2013/06/26/planetary-resources-inks-3d-systems-deal-plans-test-launch-from-iss/|title=Planetary Resources Inks 3D Systems Deal, Plans Test Launch From ISS|publisher=Xconomy |first=Benjamin|last=Romano|date=26 June 2013|access-date=18 May 2014}}

The subsystems to be tested included the avionics, attitude determination and control system (both sensors and actuators), and integrated propulsion system that will enable proximity operations for the Arkyd line of prospectors in the future.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RchUz36W99w|title=Planetary Resources One-year Update|publisher=YouTube.com|first1=Chris|last1=Lewicki|first2=Chris|last2=Voorhees|first3=Spencer|last3=Anunsen|date=24 April 2013|access-date=2 May 2013}}

This near-term attempt to validate and mature the Planetary Resources satellite technology was planned to launch in October 2014, before launch and flight test of the Arkyd-100 in 2015.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2014/10/16/first-step-toward-asteroid-mining-planetary.html|title=First step toward asteroid mining: Planetary Resources set to launch test satellite|publisher=Puget Sound Business Journal|first=Steve|last=Wilhelm|date=16 October 2014|access-date=19 October 2014}}

CRS Orb-3 was carrying eighteen student experiments designed to investigate crystal formation, seed germination, plant growth, and other processes in microgravity as part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP).{{cite web|url=http://www.spaceflight101.com/cygnus-orb-3-cargo-manifest.html |title=Cygnus Orb-3 Cargo Manifest|publisher=Spaceflight 101|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111011904/http://www.spaceflight101.com/cygnus-orb-3-cargo-manifest.html|archive-date=2015-01-11}} It also carried the first open source ArduLab-powered student experiments.{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1810.html|title=NanoRacks-Duchesne-Algae Production in Microgravity with Variable Wavelengths of Light|publisher=NASA|date=24 September 2015 |access-date=21 December 2015}} {{PD-notice}}

Two amateur radio CubeSats, RACE and GOMX-2, were on board, among other satellites. On board GOMX-2 were two payloads. One payload was a pathfinder experiment for the Small Photon-Entangling Quantum System.Ling, Alexander "[http://www.quantumlah.org/AlexLinggroup Alexander Ling's Team Webpage]" designed by the Centre for Quantum Technologies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.quantumlah.org/|title=CQT | Centre for Quantum Technologies|website=www.quantumlah.org}} The other was a sail brake experiment to remove a CubeSat from orbit by increasing aerodynamic drag.{{cite news |last=Djursing |first=Thomas |date=30 October 2014 |title=Aalborg-forskers patenterede rumopfindelse gik tabt i raket-eksplosion |trans-title=Aalborg researcher's patented space launch was lost in rocket explosion |url=https://ing.dk/artikel/aalborg-forskers-patenterede-rumopfindelse-gik-tabt-i-raket-eksplosion |access-date=30 October 2014 |work=Ingeniøren |language=da}}

With some preliminary investigation completed, Orbital cited the cause of the Orb-3 launch failure as likely being a turbopump failure in one of the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-26 engines, a refurbished Russian NK-33 engine.{{cite news|url=http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/commercial/nasa-details-orbital-sciences-will-need-complete-crs-contract/ |title=NASA Details Orbital's Requirements to Meet CRS Contract|publisher=Spaceflight Insider|first=Jason|last=Rhian|date=18 November 2014|access-date=15 January 2015}} A NASA report from the failure investigation was released in October 2015. Although NASA and Orbital Sciences agree that the turbopump failed, they differ as to the root cause (machining or debris).{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/orb3_irt_execsumm_0.pdf|title=NASA Independent Review Team: Orb–3 Accident Investigation Report, Executive Summary|publisher=NASA|date=9 October 2015 |access-date=7 December 2015}} {{PD-notice}}{{cite news|url=http://spacenews.com/nasa-orbital-differ-on-root-cause-of-antares-launch-failure/|title=NASA, Orbital Differ on Root Cause of Antares Launch Failure|publisher=Space News|first=Jeff|last=Foust|date=29 October 2015|access-date=30 October 2015}}

By January 2015, repairs to the Wallops Flight Facility began; they were completed in the fall of 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/12/return-wallops-antares-2015-hot-fire/|title=Return to Wallops Flight Facility|publisher=NasaSpaceflight|first=Chris|last=Bergin|date=8 December 2014|access-date=15 January 2015}} To meet its Commercial Resupply Services obligations with NASA, Orbital Sciences launched two Enhanced Cygnus cargo spacecraft via Atlas V launch vehicle—CRS OA-4 (Deke Slayton II) in December 2015 and CRS OA-6 (Rick Husband) in March 2016—while a new engine was selected and tested for the Antares launch vehicle. Orbital Sciences had been conducting an evaluation and review of an AJ-26 replacement engine prior to the incident, and in the year following the explosion they selected the NPO Energomash RD-181, the export version of the RD-191, to replace the AJ-26 on Antares.{{cite news|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/11/post-mortem-for-crs-3-antares-turbopump/|title=Post mortem for CRS-3 Antares notes turbopump failure|publisher=NasaSpaceflight |first=Chris|last=Bergin|date=5 November 2014|access-date=15 January 2015}} The Russians selected this same engine (RD-193), to replace the NK-33 engine used on Soyuz-2. The redesigned Antares launch vehicle flew again in 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/orbital-atk-progress-return-antares/|title=Orbital ATK make progress toward Return To Flight of Antares rocket|publisher=NasaSpaceflight|first=Chris|last=Gebhardt|date=14 August 2015|access-date=23 August 2015}}

Total cargo: {{cvt|2215|kg}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Orbital_CRS3_mission_overview.pdf|title=Orbital CRS-3 Mission Overview|publisher=NASA |date=October 2014|access-date=24 October 2014}} {{PD-notice}}

• Science investigations: {{cvt|727|kg}}
• U.S. science: {{cvt|569|kg}}
• International partner science: {{cvt|158|kg}}

• Crew supplies: {{cvt|748|kg}}
• Equipment: {{cvt|124|kg}}
• Food: {{cvt|617|kg}}
• Flight procedure books: {{cvt|7|kg}}

• Vehicle hardware: {{cvt|635.7|kg}}
• U.S. hardware: {{cvt|605.7|kg}}
• JAXA hardware: {{cvt|30|kg}}

• Spacewalk equipment: {{cvt|66|kg}}

• Computer resources: {{cvt|37|kg}}
• Command & data handling equipment: {{cvt|34|kg}}
• Photography/TV equipment: {{cvt|3|kg}}

Total cargo with packing material: {{convert|2294|kg}}

File:Fairing installed for Orbital CRS-3.jpg|Integration of payload fairing on Antares rocket

File:Antares CRS Orb-3 rollout (201410240003HQ).jpg|Rollout of Antares to launch pad

File:Antares CRS Orb-3 raised at Pad-0A (201410250004HQ).jpg|Antares being raised at pad.

File:Antares CRS Orb-3 vertical at Pad-0A (201410250005HQ).jpg|Antares vertical at pad

File:Antares Rocket at Sunrise, October 26, 2014.jpg|Against the disk of the rising Sun on launch day

File:Antares Orb-3 launch failure (201410280011HQ).jpg|Explosion of Antares after crashing.

File:Antares Orb-3 launch failure (201410280012HQ).jpg|Aftermath of explosion

• VSS Enterprise crash, which occurred a few days after the Orb-3 crash
• SpaceX CRS-7, another Commercial Resupply Service mission that experienced a launch failure

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{commons category|Antares Orb-3}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141028174102/http://www.orbital.com/newsinfo/missionupdates/Orb-3/default.aspx Cygnus Orb-3] at orbital.com
• [http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Orbital_CRS3_press_kit.pdf Cygnus Orb-3 press kit] at nasa.gov
• {{YouTube|id=aL5eddt-iAo|title=Cygnus Orb-3 launch failure}}
• {{YouTube|id=y5HaD5zZjeE|title=NASA post-launch press conference}}

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