Antares 2
Antares 2 (X-259) was an American solid-fueled rocket stage built by Hercules/ABL/Thiokol that used a cast, aluminized, double-base solid propellant containing nitrocellulose.[1][2][3][4] It was used from the mid-1960s to 1995, in the Scout and Strypi family of rockets,[5][6] and on the Project FIRE Velocity Packages, and was used about 96 times.[2][7]
Details
Basic details of the X-259 stage:[2][1]
- Thrust: 93.10 kN (20,930 lbf)
- Gross mass: 1,400 kg (3,100 lb)
- Unfuelled mass: 300 kg (660 lb)
- Specific impulse: 293 s.
- Specific impulse sea level: 233 s.
- Burn time: 36 s.
- Height: 2.9 m (9.5 ft)
- Diameter: 0.76 m (2.5 ft)
Variants
There were various variants:[2][5]
- Antares 2 was used on Scout X-2 1C, B 2A, B-1 F, D-1 F and D; Strypi Tomahawk, XI and IX; SPARTA and Athena H
- Antares 2A was used on Scout-X2, X2B, X2M, X3, X3A, X3C, X3M, X4, X4A, X5C, A, A1, B, B1, C, and D1; and Project FIRE;
- Antares 2B was used on Scout-A2, B2, E1 and Scout-F1.
References
- ^ a b McCulloch, R. H. (September 1963). Standard Launch Vehicle I (SLV-I) System Description and Operation Summary (PDF). DEFENSE DOCUMENTATION CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION.
- ^ a b c d Wade, Mark. "Antares 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ FINAL REPORT ON THE MANUFACTURE AND STATIC FIRING OF X259-E6 ROCKET MOTOR SERIAL NUMBER XJ04/0001 (PDF). NASA. January 1975.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan (2019). "Antares". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ a b Krebs, Gunter D. (2025). "Scout Family". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ "Rocket Motor, Solid Fuel, X-259". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ PROJECT FIRE INTEGRATED POST FLIGHT EVALUATION REPORT - Flight II (PDF). NASA. July 1965. pp. VII.