Q: What was the purpose of the Cygnus Mass Simulator?

A: The simulator was a non-functional boilerplate payload designed to mimic the mass and aerodynamic profile of a real Cygnus cargo spacecraft. It allowed Orbital Sciences to test the Antares rocket's capabilities without risking valuable cargo.

Q: When and where was the Cygnus Mass Simulator launched?

A: It was launched on April 21, 2013, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0.

Q: Was the Cygnus Mass Simulator a functional spacecraft?

A: No, it is classified as a "boilerplate" payload. While it is categorized as a spacecraft, it was a mass simulator rather than an operational vehicle designed for space logistics or research.

Cygnus Mass Simulator

boilerplate payload launched April 21, 2013 on the maiden flight of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket

Vehicle spacecraft Q11835699

Facts

7 properties

Instance of: spacecraft
Launch date: 2013-04-21
Launch vehicle: Antares
Significant event: rocket launch^[4]
Space launch vehicle: Antares^[2]
Start point: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0^[5]
UTC date of spacecraft launch: April 21, 2013^[3]

🏷️ Also known as

en Cygnus Mass Simulator es Antares A-ONE ja アンタレス A-ONE zh 天鵝座質量模擬器

🔖 Identifiers · 4

Image (Wikimedia Commons): Cygnus mass simulator - side view.png ↗
COSPAR ID: 2013-016A
Freebase ID: /m/0rph5xp
SCN: 39142

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🔗 Connections

Instance of 1

spacecraft

Significant event 1

rocket launch

Space launch vehicle 1

Antares

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Summary

Cygnus Mass Simulator is a spacecraft^[1].

⭐ Popularity Graph

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🌐 Wiki Languages

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🌐 Available in 7 languages

enAntares A-ONE esAntares A-ONE idAntares A-ONE jaアンタレス A-ONE ruCygnus Mass Simulator ukAntares A-ONE zh天鵝座質量模擬器

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

[2] ↑ Cygnus Mass Simulator — space launch vehicle (P375): Antares. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.
[3] ↑ Cygnus Mass Simulator — UTC date of spacecraft launch (P619): April 21, 2013. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.
[4] ↑ Cygnus Mass Simulator — significant event (P793): rocket launch. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.
[5] ↑ Cygnus Mass Simulator — start point (P1427): Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.

Class ancestry

[1] ↑ Cygnus Mass Simulator is an instance of spacecraft (Q40218) [P31, primary]. Wikidata. wikidata.org.

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Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA

4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Cygnus Mass Simulator. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/cygnus-mass-simulator

MLA

“Cygnus Mass Simulator.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 7 Nov. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/cygnus-mass-simulator.

BibTeX

@misc{4ortxyz_cygnus-mass-simulator_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Cygnus Mass Simulator}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/cygnus-mass-simulator}, note = {Accessed: 2026-11-07}}

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According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Cygnus Mass Simulator — https://4ort.xyz/entity/cygnus-mass-simulator (retrieved 2026-11-07)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cygnus-mass-simulator · Last refreshed: November 7, 2026