An Orbital Cygnus spacecraft, perched atop an Atlas 5 rocket from United Launch Alliance – a Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co joint venture – had been slated for liftoff at 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT).
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“The winds were just a couple of knots too high, so we just didn’t feel comfortable launching tonight”, said Vernon Thorp, the NASA programs manager for United Launch Alliance, whose Atlas V rocket is carrying the Orbital payload aloft. The rocket is due to lift off early Thursday evening with 7,400 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station.
Cygnus is on a mission to deliver 3,300 kiligrams (almost 6,614 pounds) of supplies to the International Space Station. The last successful USA supply run was in April.
An unmanned Atlas V rocket sits on the launch pad, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Early Friday afternoon, the forecast improved slightly, with thick clouds still the main concern for the planned 5:33 p.m. liftoff. Also aboard are two Microsoft HoloLens headsets, which will provide station crew – and onlookers in ground control centers – with digitally enhanced images of whatever the astronauts are looking at.
If all goes according to plan, in a few days, Commander Scott Kelly, who is now spending one year in space, can look forward to unloading more food supplies, clothes and plenty of science experiments – the results of which can help benefit future missions.
The Atlas V will send Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft into orbit. That’s because of launch accidents by NASA’s two commercial suppliers. The company’s Falcon rocket ended up in the Atlantic at the end of June, along with a new docking port and everything else destined for the space station. Orbital expects to start using its own Antares rocket again in May 2016.
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The Cygnus OA-4 payload will carry food, water and clothing for the astronauts along with science experiments and equipment, and some student projects.
