Trent J. Perrotto
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov
Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
josh.byerly@nasa.gov
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RELEASE 13-284
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NASA Partner Orbital Sciences Launches Demonstration Mission to Space
Station
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NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va.,
successfully launched its Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard its Antares rocket
at 10:58 a.m. EDT Wednesday from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A
at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
This is the first time a spacecraft launched from Virginia is blazing a trail
toward the International Space Station, heralding a new U.S. capability to
resupply the orbiting laboratory.
Traveling 17,500 mph in Earth's orbit, Cygnus is on its way to rendezvous
with the space station Sunday, Sept. 22. The spacecraft will deliver about
1,300 pounds (589 kilograms) of cargo, including food and clothing, to the
Expedition 37 crew, who will grapple and attach the capsule using the
station's robotic arm.
"Today marks a milestone in our new era of exploration as we expand the
capability for making cargo launches to the International Space Station from
American shores," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "Orbital's
extraordinary efforts are helping us fulfill the promise of American
innovation to maintain our nation's leadership in space."
Orbital is building and testing its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft
under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Program. The
successful completion of the COTS demonstration mission will pave the way for
Orbital to conduct eight planned cargo resupply flights to the space station
through NASA’s $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with the
company.
Future Cygnus flights will significantly increase NASA's ability to deliver
new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity. As one of
two U.S. carriers capable of providing cargo resupply missions to the space
station, a successful demonstration mission will ensure a robust national
capability to deliver critical science payloads to orbit. NASA's other cargo
resupply provider, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), began flying
regular cargo missions to the space station in 2012, following its own COTS
demonstration mission.
"Today’s launch is the culmination of more than five years’ work between
the NASA and Orbital teams," said Alan Lindenmoyer, NASA’s program manager
for commercial crew and cargo. "Everyone involved should be extremely proud,
and we are looking forward to a successful series of checkouts between now
and when Cygnus reaches the space station this weekend."
Over the next several days, Cygnus will perform a series of maneuvers to test
and prove its systems, ensuring it can safely enter the so-called "keep-out
sphere" of the space station, a 656-foot (200-meter) radius surrounding the
complex.
NASA Television coverage for grapple and berthing operations will begin at
4:30 a.m. Sept. 22 and continue through the capture and installation of the
Cygnus spacecraft. Capture is scheduled for about 7:25 a.m. with installation
of the spacecraft beginning around 9 a.m.
A joint news conference will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston and at Orbital's Headquarters at 45101 Warp Drive, in Dulles, Va., at
about 1 p.m. EDT, after Cygnus operations are complete. The briefing will be
carried live on NASA TV and the agency's website. Media may participate by
telephone by calling the Johnson newsroom at 218-483-5111 no later than 15
minutes prior to the start of the briefing. Media interested in attending the
briefing in Houston should contact Johnson's newsroom no later than 5 p.m.
EDT Friday, Sept. 20. Media with U.S. citizenship who want to attend the
briefing at Orbital should contact Barron Beneski at 703-406-5528 or
public.relations@orbital.com by noon Friday, Sept. 20. The registration
deadline for non-U.S. citizens has passed.
NASA initiatives such as COTS are helping to develop a robust U.S. commercial
space transportation industry with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and
cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and
low-Earth orbit. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program also is working with
commercial space partners to develop capabilities to launch U.S. astronauts
from American soil in the next few years.
The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology and
human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research
breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station has had continuous
human occupation since November 2000. In that time it has been visited by
more than 200 people and a variety of international and commercial
spacecraft. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great
leap in exploration, including future missions to an asteroid and Mars.
For more information about the Orbital demonstration mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/orbitalFor more information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
