This craft can carry thousands of pounds more than the earlier version of the cargo ship, allowing NASA to pack the ship full of critical supplies that should restock the station after a string of accidents left the space lab a bit low on some supplies. If the launch is scrubbed again today, favorable weather conditions for launch improve to 40% on Sunday and 70% on Monday. There’s a 60 percent chance that dismal weather may again delay the launch, according to a NASA update.
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Cygnus is on a mission to deliver 3,300 kiligrams (almost 6,614 pounds) of supplies to the International Space Station.
Similar inclement conditions scrubbed Thursday’s first attempt to launch the 194-foot United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft. But if the spacecraft launches later in its 30-minute launch window, its rendezvous with the station will slip to Tuesday (Dec. 8), NASA officials explained in the update. A second Cygnus/Atlas V launch will take place next spring from the Cape, followed by the return of operations to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia later next year aboard an upgraded Antares rocket.
Times may change if the launch is delayed. Orbital ATK bought another company’s rocket, the veteran Atlas V, for this supply mission.
Orbital’s last grocery run ended in flames seconds after liftoff a year ago. SpaceX, the other supplier, suffered a launch failure in June. But it’s since picked up the slack, along with Japan. Orbital ATK’s Antares, with a new Russian engine, is expected to reprise its role as the company’s resupply workhorse after its next ISS mission.
Much-needed food is inside Orbital’s cargo carrier, named Cygnus after the swan constellation.
The launch is going to be crucial for Cygnus as the spacecraft has not flown since past year.
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The Atlas V rocket has proved consistently reliable since its maiden launch in 2002, suffering only one significant issue in 2007 when a valve leak in the upper stage caused it to shut down early. SpaceX, meanwhile, aims to restart station deliveries in January with its Falcon rockets.
