Orbital's Second Cargo Re-Supply Mission Aimed at International Space Station
The International Space Station is scheduled to receive another re-supply mission, this time from a Cygnus cargo module developed and operated by Virgina-based commercial transport outfit Orbital Sciences Corp.
The lift-off of Orbital's Antares launch vehicle, for the Orb-2 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the ISS, is planned for Saturday, July 12, at 1:14 p.m. EDT, according to a company news release.
The Antares rocket was rolled out to its launch site at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport early Thursday and then erected onto the pad later in the day.
The Cygnus spacecraft, positioned at the top of the Antares rocket, is targeted to arrive at the ISS on Tuesday, July 15, with berthing scheduled to begin at approximately 7:24 a.m. EDT.
Once in orbit, Cygnus will deploy its solar arrays and undergo an initial systems check before conduct a series of thruster burns to raise its orbit and to maneuver it within 4 kilometers, or, 2,5 miles, of the ISS - prior to receiving authorization for an autonomous rendezvous with the station.
When the cargo ship positions itself about 12 meters, or 40 feet, from the orbiting lab, the astronaut crew from the station will use a robotic arm to grab Cygnus and berth it to the Harmony node of the station.
Cygnus is schedule to be berthed at the ISS for approximately 30 days, during which the station crew will unload the ship's payload then fill it back up with materials for disposal.
At the end of the mission Cygnus will disengage from the station and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.
Antares is a two-stage launch vehicle designed to lift medium-class payloads weighing up to 6,120 kilograms, or about 14,000 pounds.
The first launch of Antares took place from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on April 21, 2013.
Orbital develops and manufactures small- and medium-class rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary exploration spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions.
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