Orbital ATK's Antares first stage with the new engines is rolled from NASA Wallops Flight Facility's Horizontal Integration Facility to Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A on May 12, 2016, in preparation for the upcoming stage test in the next few weeks.
The team will continue to work meticulously as they begin final integration and check outs on the pad and several readiness reviews prior to the test. The window for the stage test will be over multiple days to ensure technical and weather conditions are acceptable.
Mikulski and Bolden Tour Wallops Flight Facility
Earlier this month NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia hosted Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and agency Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday, May 3, for an employee town hall and tour.
During the day the Senator visited the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A, where preparations are underway to conduct a hot fire test of Orbital ATK's Antares rocket in preparation for returning the rocket to flight operations this summer.
In addition, they were able to see the integration of Antares rockets for the hot fire test and the flight this summer. Joining Mikulski and Bolden on the tour were Dan Givens, Orbital ATK site manager at Wallops Flight Facility, Frank Culbertson, president of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group; Dale Nash, executive director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority; Kate Kronmiller, staff vice president of Government Relations, Orbital ATK; and Bill Wrobel, director of Wallops Flight Facility.
