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Space station supply ship delayed after computer problem

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Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press Published Sunday, September 22, 2013 7:26AM EDT Last Updated Sunday, September 22, 2013 8:24AM EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A brand new commercial cargo ship making its orbital debut experienced trouble with a computer data link Sunday, and its arrival at the International Space Station was delayed at least two days.

The rendezvous was aborted less than six hours before the scheduled arrival of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus capsule, packed with 1,300 pounds of food and clothes for the space station crew.

The Virginia-based company said it is working on a software repair, but it will be at least two more days until another approach is attempted.

Orbital Sciences said the two orbiting vessels established direct contact early Sunday, four days after the Cygnus' launch from Virginia. But the Cygnus rejected some of the data, which interrupted the entire rendezvous. Until then, everything had been going well.

Because this is a test flight of the Cygnus, nothing valuable or urgent is on board. If necessary, it could keep orbiting the world for weeks, even months, before pulling up at the orbiting lab.

Orbital Sciences is the second private company to launch supplies to the space station. In 2012, the California-based SpaceX began accomplishing that job for NASA. The space agency is paying the two companies to deliver goods to the space station, in the absence of the now-retired space shuttles.

Three astronauts -- an American, Italian and Russian -- currently are aboard the orbiting outpost. On Wednesday, three more crew members will be launched from Kazakhstan. Orbital Sciences will have to work around that manned flight, delaying the Cygnus further if a Tuesday hookup is not feasible.

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Space station supply ship delayed after computer problem

Mishap delays space station supply ship

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September 22, 2013

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A brand new commercial cargo ship making its orbital debut experienced navigation system trouble Sunday, and its arrival at the International Space Station was delayed at least two days.

The rendezvous was aborted less than six hours before the scheduled arrival of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus capsule, packed with 1,300 pounds of food and clothes for the space station crew.

The Virginia-based company said it already has developed a software repair. The new software will be tested on the ground before it is transmitted to the Cygnus and tested again. If all goes well, the capsule will make another docking attempt Tuesday morning.

Orbital Sciences said the two orbiting vessels established direct contact early Sunday, four days after the Cygnus' launch from Virginia. But the Cygnus rejected some of the data, which interrupted the entire rendezvous. Until then, everything had been going well.

The problem was traced to a difference in data format in the navigation systems of the two spacecraft, the company said. Otherwise, the Cygnus remains healthy.

Because this is a test flight of the Cygnus, nothing valuable or urgent is on board. If necessary, it could keep orbiting the world for weeks, even months, before pulling up at the orbiting lab.

Orbital Sciences is the second private company to launch supplies to the space station. In 2012, the California-based SpaceX began accomplishing that job for NASA. The space agency is paying the two companies to deliver goods to the space station, in the absence of the now-retired space shuttles.

Three astronauts - an American, Italian and Russian - currently are aboard the orbiting outpost. On Wednesday, three more crew members will be launched from Kazakhstan. Orbital Sciences will have to work around that manned flight, delaying the Cygnus further if a Tuesday hookup is not feasible.

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Mishap delays space station supply ship

Commercial cargo ship aborts space station approach

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A commercial cargo ship making its maiden flight to the International Space Station aborted its initial approach to the lab complex early Sunday because of suspect navigation data.

Officials with Orbital Sciences Corp., builder of the Cygnus cargo craft, said engineers quickly identified the problem and were developing a software patch, but another approach was on hold until Tuesday.

"This morning, at around 1:30 a.m. EDT, Cygnus established direct data contact with the ISS and found that some of the data received had values that it did not expect, causing Cygnus to reject the data," NASA and Orbital said in web site updates. "This mandated an interruption of the approach sequence.

"Orbital has subsequently found the causes of this discrepancy and is developing a software fix. The minimum turnaround time to resume the approach to the ISS following an interruption such as this is approximately 48 hours due to the orbital mechanics of the approach trajectory."

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The Cygnus cargo ship, launched Wednesday from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Island, Va., was developed under a $288 million contract with NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, program.

Orbital is one of two commercial cargo carriers hired by NASA to take over U.S. space station logistics in the wake of the space shuttle's retirement.

If the test flight is successful, Orbital will be clear to begin routine cargo delivery missions later this year under a separate $1.9 billion contract calling for at least eight missions to deliver some 40,000 pounds of supplies and equipment.

Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, holds a $1.6 billion contract to conduct at least 12 space station resupply missions with its Dragon cargo ship. SpaceX has conducted two operational flights to the station.

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Commercial cargo ship aborts space station approach

Space Station Astronauts Use Rover to Explore Earth | ESA Science HD Video – Video

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Space Station Astronauts Use Rover to Explore Earth | ESA Science HD Video
Visit my website at http://www.junglejoel.com - astronaut Luca Parmitano, aboard the International Space Station, commands NASA #39;s K10 planetary rover, a smal...

By: CoconutScienceLab

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Space Station Astronauts Use Rover to Explore Earth | ESA Science HD Video - Video

Chinese space station to be open to foreigners

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Beijing, Sep 20 (IANS) A senior Chinese space scientist Friday said China's space station is expected to be opened to foreign astronauts.

"The space station will offer astronauts from around the world opportunities for research and experimentation," Zhou Jianping, designer-in-chief of China's manned space programme, told Xinhua on the sidelines of an international symposium in Beijing.

China's space station is expected to be completed around 2020.

Representatives from more than 20 countries and international organisations exchanged views on space technology cooperation the five-day symposium that ended Friday.

"The space station will use cutting-edge technologies, such as energy and regeneration technologies," Zhou added.

Zhou said China is willing to exchange and cooperate with other countries in the field after the completion of the space station, in order to achieve peaceful use of space resources and mutual development.

The space station has been designed to accommodate three astronauts who will work in half-year shifts during its operation period, but new capsules can be added as and when required for scientific research.

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Chinese space station to be open to foreigners

Private Cygnus Spacecraft Launches on Maiden Space Station Voyage

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Cygnus is the second commercial spacecraft to launch toward the space station for NASA. The first private spaceship to visit the ISS was SpaceX's robotic Dragon space capsule

By SPACE.com and Tariq Malik

ROCKET Orbital Sciences Corp. launched its Cygnus cargo capsule aboard an Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility on Sept. 18, 2013. Image: NASA TV

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. An untested commercial spacecraft blasted off on its first trek to the International Space Station today (Sept. 18), kicking off a major demonstration mision for its Virginia-based builders and NASA.

The unmanned Cygnus spacecraft and its Antares rocket soared into orbit with a tremendous roar at 10:58 a.m. EDT (1458 GMT) today from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility here a huge success for the commercial spaceflight company Orbital Sciences Corp., which built both vehicles. The spacecraft is now chasing the space station and is due to arrive early Sunday (Sept. 22), when it will be captured by astronauts using the outpost's robotic arm.

"Antares is the largest rocket that we've ever developed, and this will be the first payload that we've ever developed to rendezvous directly and autonomously of this size," said Frank Culbertson, Orbital's executive vice president. "It's been a long road to get to this point." [See photos of the Cygnus spacecraft's first launch]

The launch was delayed one day due to a technical glitch during the rocket's trip to its seaside pad. But the Wednesday liftoff appeared to go off smoothly, and Cygnus and Antares climbed into a clear blue sky.

During the countdown, NASA had to evacuate four homes around the launch area as a safety precaution in the unlikely chance the Antares rocket exploded during liftoff and blew out their windows.

A private spaceship rises

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Private Cygnus Spacecraft Launches on Maiden Space Station Voyage

[Antares] Cargo Late Loaded ahead of Inaugural Launch to Space Station on ORB-D Mission – Video

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[Antares] Cargo Late Loaded ahead of Inaugural Launch to Space Station on ORB-D Mission
Cargo was late loaded into Orbital Sciences Cygnus Spacecraft, which is due to launch on it #39;s first flight to the International Space Station on September 18...

By: SpaceVidsNet

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[Antares] Cargo Late Loaded ahead of Inaugural Launch to Space Station on ORB-D Mission - Video


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