OA-5 was the return of Antares. Two years after the pad explosion, the rocket flew with new Russian-built RD-181 engines replacing the refurbished Soviet motors, from a launch complex that had itself been rebuilt.
The re-engining was a substantial undertaking, requiring modifications to the vehicle's structure, propellant feed and control systems, and it resolved the failure mode by removing the hardware responsible.
The spacecraft delivered around 2,400 kilograms including crew supplies, spare parts and experiments, and carried a second fire-safety experiment conducted after departure.
It was named for Alan Poindexter, a Shuttle commander who had died in a jet-ski accident in 2012.
The flight restored the company's own launch capability, though it continued to buy Atlas V launches when schedules demanded. Operating a spacecraft that could fly on more than one rocket turned out to be a considerable practical advantage.
