Orbital Sciences' Cygnus Capsule Leaves Space Station

Orbital Sciences Corp.s Cygnus cargo capsule left the International Space Station on Tuesday, wrapping up a successful test flight that clears the company to begin making regular resupply runs for NASA beginning in December.

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Cygnus is the second commercial freighter, developed in partnership in NASA, to reach the space station, which had been dependent on cargo ships built and operated by partners Russia, Europe and Japan to keep the station stocked following the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011.

Space Exploration Technologies, which started work for NASA about 18 months before Orbital Sciences, made a test flight to the station in May 2012 and so far has completed two of 12 planned resupply missions.

Cygnus, which unlike SpaceXs Dragon capsule does not return to Earth, is expected to fire its braking rocket on Wednesday to lower its orbit and allow itself to be dragged back into the planets atmosphere for incineration.

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The capsule was loaded up with garbage and items no longer needed aboard the station before its release at 7:31 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.

We are delighted to now have two American companies able to resupply the station, NASA administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement.

Orbitals success today is helping make NASAs future exploration to farther destinations possible, he added.

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Orbital Sciences' Cygnus Capsule Leaves Space Station