When the rocket does blast off, it will mark the 60th launch of an Atlas V rocket and the 30th launch of the rocket’s 401 configuration, but it’s the first time this type of rocket will ever launch a cargo ship to the International Space Station.
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United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security and its headquarters are located in Centennial.
The third weather delay in a row forced another cancellation of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launch in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Sunday’s weather is forecast to offer a 40 percent chance of allowable conditions for a launch, the website reported.
High winds pushed Saturday’s planned launch attempt back one day.
Displaying a can-do attitude, the team pressed on and rest the launch for Sunday, Dec. 6, with the launch window opening at 4:44 p.m. EST (21:44 p.m. GMT). The space agency’s commercial partner, Orbital ATK, has a $1,9 billion agreement with NASA to conduct 10 such cargo runs to the orbiting laboratory. The other company, SpaceX, was recovering from a similar launch explosion in June this year as well.
The Cygnus spacecraft for the OA-4 mission is the first to employ the longer, “enhanced”, PCM which can carry a greater volume of cargo than the PCM flown on previous missions, and lightweight UltraFlex arrays developed and built by Orbital ATK’s Goleta, California, facility. NASA Television coverage Sunday will begin at 3:45 p.m.
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Apart from much needed food, Orbital’s Cygnus cargo resupply vehicle also contains clothing and toiletries for six astronauts including spacewalking equipment and air supply tanks, along with scientific experiments.
