It will dock at the space station in just a few days after the completion of the tests * In doing so, Orbital Sciences joins the SpaceX company that has already launched two cargo spacecraft as part of a contract with NASA. The launch is the second civilian launch to be carried out from Wallops Island near Virginia and the first to the space station.
Orbital Sciences held today (10:57 EST, 17:57 Israel time) a test launch of the Cygnus cargo spacecraft on top of an Anthras rocket of its own production, to the International Space Station from Wallops Island off the coast of Virginia. In this flight, the company is testing the spacecraft's systems, so its actual payload is relatively small. As of the time of writing this news, about five minutes after the launch, everything seems normal.
Orbital Sciences' Cygnus cargo spacecraft (Swan) is the first spacecraft to lift off to the International Space Station from Wallops Island in Virginia. As I recall, about two weeks ago the Laddy spacecraft was launched from there to the moon, in a night launch visible from the entire east coast of the USA. This time it is a day launch.
The spacecraft will provide the astronauts on the space station's 37th crew with about 589 kg of cargo, including food and clothing. NASA says that future Cygnus flights will increase NASA's ability to enable new science experiments to be carried out on the station.
Orbital Sciences is the second NASA partner participating in the agency's COTS program. The goal of this program is to develop efficient, safe, reliable, and inexpensive cargo transport systems. Orbital began development of the Cygnus spacecraft in 2008. Following a successful imaging mission, the company is expected to begin The other partner, SpaceX, began its work in 2006, and after A successful test flight in 2012 began regular cargo missions to the space station.
During Cygnus' flight to the station, some of the spacecraft's systems will be tested. After the flight control team at the space station has verified the success of these objectives, the spacecraft will approach the station several days after launch. Cygnus will undergo further tests and maneuvers and eventually reach beneath the station where the astronauts on board can use the station's arm to capture the cell. They will then attach it to the underside and install it on the underside of the station's Harmony module.
