The Antares system was upgraded with newly built RD-181 first stage engines to provide greater payload performance and increased reliability.

This particular mission, known as OA-7, enabled Orbital ATK to cover their initial CRS contracted payload obligation.

[12] At NASA's request, OA-7 was switched from an Antares to an Atlas V rocket to increase the payload delivered to the ISS.

[15][16] Orbital ATK announced on 11 June 2017 that the OA-7 mission had formally ended at 17:08 UTC with the reentry and destruction of the S.S. John Glenn.

The spacecraft reentered east of New Zealand over the Pacific Ocean, disposing of approximately 1,950 kg (4,300 lb) of trash and unneeded hardware.

[6][17] This is the seventh of ten flights by Orbital ATK under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

[19][13] OA-7 carried 34 other CubeSats that will be launched from the Kibō module on ISS, including 28 that were built by university students as part of the QB50 program.