Orbital ATK (NYSE:OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, successfully launched its Cygnus spacecraft today aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle with approximately 7,700 pounds (3,500 kilograms) of cargo for the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS), beginning the company’s fourth operational cargo resupply mission for NASA. After three days of high wind and cloudy skies delayed the launch, the first USA shipment of space station supplies since spring took off Sunday.
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The two private companies – Orbital ATK and SpaceX – contracted by Nasa to deliver supplies to the station, are both stuck with grounded rockets following launch accidents.
The resupply services contract between NASA and Orbital ATK requires 10 missions to the ISS that would total 63,272 lbs of cargo. And in a separate event earlier this year SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carrying an uncrewed Dragon capsule disintegrated above Florida, putting those cargo flights on hold as well.
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. The station’s robotic arm will grapple the spacecraft and berth it to the Earth-facing port on the Node 1, or Unity, module, the first time that docking port has been used by a cargo spacecraft.
After the shuttle retired in 2011, NASA made a decision to contract out the missions to the space station, located in what’s called low Earth orbit, or about 220 miles from Earth.
“Liftoff, on the shoulders of Atlas”, NASA spokesman Mike Curie said as the unmanned spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida atop a white Atlas V rocket at 4:44 pm (2144 GMT).
The Atlas V will send Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft into orbit. The station typically stocks about six months of provisions, and two different craft, one from Japan and one from Europe, have docked in the meantime and brought some supplies.
The Cygnus is carrying a new batch of kid’s books for the astronauts to read from the station, and even some Christmas presents for the astronauts.
The ISS is also supplied by deliveries from Russia, Japan and Europe. Orbital contracted with ULA to use the Atlas for two missions in order to resume flight operations as quickly as possible after the mishap.
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The successful launch shortly before sunset was cheered as a sign that the company had rebounded from its failure past year. “Over 25% more than our previous missions and it’s our first time launching on an Atlas V rocket”, explained DeMauro to Observer. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who commands the station and is in the midst of a one-year mission in space, is Lindgren’s backup.
