Category Archives: Transhuman News

Company launches rocket to space station
Orbital Sciences Corp launches the first test flight of its unmanned Antares rocket to the International Space Station, as NASA forges ahead with its plan to...

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Company launches rocket to space station - Video

Second Private Company About To Fly To Space Station
Second private company about to fly to space station NASA #39;s commercial space station suppliers are about to double in number. Virginia-based Orbital Sciences...

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Second Private Company About To Fly To Space Station - Video

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

Orbital #39;s Cygnus Spacecraft Heads to Space Station
Private industry #39;s ability to handle resupply missions to the International Space Station was tested once again Wednesday when a second U.S. company launched...

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Orbital's Cygnus Spacecraft Heads to Space Station - Video

A commercial cargo vessel is steadily closing in on the International Space Station, setting the stage for a historic rendezvous with the orbiting lab Sunday morning (Sept. 22).

The unmanned Cygnus spacecraft, built by Virginia-based company Orbital Sciences, is expected to be grappled by astronauts using the space station's 57-foot-long (17.4 meters) robotic arm at 7:25 a.m. EDT (1125 GMT) Sunday. If all goes according to plan, the cargo ship will be secured to its docking port beginning at 9:15 a.m. EDT, NASA officials said.

You can watch Cygnus' space station arrivallive here on SPACE.com, courtesy of NASA TV. Coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. EDT (0830 GMT) Sunday.[How the Cygnus Spacecraft Works (Infographic)]

The rendezvous will mark a big moment for Orbital Sciences, which launched Cygnus for the first time Wednesday (Sept. 18) on a critical demonstration flight to the space station. The current mission is designed to show that Cygnus and its Antares rocket, also built by Orbital, are ready to begin hauling cargo to the orbiting lab. (The company holds a $1.9 billion deal with NASA to make eight robotic supply runs.)

NASA officials described Wednesday's launch as "picture perfect," and the chase phase is apparently going smoothly as well.

"All systems on the Cygnus spacecraft continue to operate very well, and the mission is proceeding just as planned," Orbital Sciences officials wrote in a status update Friday (Sept. 20).

Cygnus has some work to do before arriving at the station, however, and it's not all about closing the distance gap. The spacecraft must also perform 10 maneuvers to prove that it can safely sidle up to the orbiting lab. As of Friday, Cygnus had completed two of those moves, with the other eight planned for early Sunday morning.

"Once the final demonstration maneuver is deemed successful, NASA will give approval for the approach to within 10 meters of the station, where Cygnus will be grappled by the robotic arm and guided to its berthing port," Orbital officials wrote.

Cygnus won't be the first private shapeship to dock with the orbiting lab. The unmanned Dragon capsule, built by California-based firm SpaceX, has visited the station three times first on a demonstration flight in May 2012, and then on contracted cargo runs in October 2012 and March 2013.

SpaceX, which is led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, holds a $1.6 billion NASA deal to make at least 12 such flights.

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Private Cygnus Spacecraft Chasing Space Station for Sunday Rendezvous