Category Archives: Space Station

Space Station Live: Sept. 27, 2013
The Space Station Live recap video for Sept. 27, 2013. Watch the full Space Station Live broadcast weekdays on NASA TV at 10 a.m. CDT. http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

By: ReelNASA

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Space Station Live: Sept. 27, 2013 - Video

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Orbital Sciences Corporation (ORB), one of the worlds leading space technology companies, today announced that its Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and approach maneuvers with the International Space Station (ISS) and was grappled and berthed with the station by the Expedition 37 astronaut crew earlier this morning. After Cygnus was launched into orbit by Orbitals Antares rocket on Wednesday, September 18 from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility, it completed an extensive series of in-orbit tests and orbit-raising maneuvers demonstrating its readiness to operate in close proximity to the ISS. Final approach to the station began at about 3:00 a.m. (EDT) this morning, culminating with the stations robotic arm grappling the spacecraft at 7:00 a.m. when it was about 10 meters away. Cygnus was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the ISS Harmony module where its installation was completed just before 8:45 a.m.

This entire COTS demonstration mission has been executed in textbook fashion by the joint NASA and Orbital teams, from Antares launch 10 days ago to Cygnus berthing at the station this morning, said Mr. David W. Thompson, Orbitals President and Chief Executive Officer. A tremendous amount of hard work has gone into this five-year effort from our launch vehicle and spacecraft teams, and we are all exceptionally proud of their accomplishments. We look forward to moving ahead with regularly scheduled ISS cargo delivery missions for NASA as early as the end of the year.

Orbital and NASA cooperatively developed the Cygnus cargo spacecraft under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program that started in 2008. For the COTS demonstration mission, Cygnus carried a relatively light load of cargo to the ISS. The ISS crew will start unpacking the 700 kg of cargo and supplies tomorrow, which includes food, clothing and experimental equipment. In early October, they will begin filling the cargo module with up to 800 kg of disposal cargo prior to its departure. For future missions, Cygnus has a total cargo up-mass capacity of 2,000 kg in its standard configuration, expanding to 2,700 kg in its enhanced design for later missions. This first Cygnus will remain at the ISS for 30 days before departing for a destructive reentry over the Pacific Ocean in late October.

Following the successful completion of the COTS demonstration mission, Orbital will begin to carry out operational missions under the $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The company will deliver approximately 20,000 kg of cargo to the ISS on eight more Antares/Cygnus missions through 2016. Each Cygnus cargo ship will carry crew food, clothing and other supplies; spare parts and equipment; and scientific experiments to the space station.

About Cygnus

Orbital developed the Cygnus cargo spacecraft as part of its COTS joint research and development initiative with NASA. Cygnus consists of a common Service Module (SM) and a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM). The SM incorporates avionics, power, propulsion and communications systems already successfully flown aboard dozens of Orbitals LEOStar and GEOStar satellites. The PCM, designed and built by Thales Alenia Space under a subcontract from Orbital, is based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) previously used with the Space Shuttle. With a full load of cargo and fuel, the standard-configuration Cygnus weighs about 5,200 kg at launch and generates 3.5 kw of electrical power while in orbit. It is capable of extended-duration missions of a year or longer in space.

About Orbital

Orbital develops and manufactures small- and medium-class rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The companys primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also provides satellite subsystems and space-related technical services to government agencies and laboratories. More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com. Follow the company on Twitter @OrbitalSciences.

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Orbital’s Cygnus Spacecraft Successfully Berths with the International Space Station

Orbital Sciences freighter on trail run to outpost Slated to begin resupply flights in December Rival SpaceX preparing to test new rocket

By Associated Press

PUBLISHED: 11:56 EST, 29 September 2013 | UPDATED: 14:36 EST, 29 September 2013

NASA's newest delivery service pulled up at the International Space Station on Sunday after a week's delay, bringing more than a half-ton of meals and special treats to the astronauts who assisted in the high-flying feat.

With the smooth linkup, Orbital Sciences Corp. became only the second company to accomplish such a far-flung shipment.

The space station astronauts used their ship's huge robot arm to grab the Cygnus capsule, as the two vessels zoomed 260 miles above the Indian Ocean.

On track: The Cygnus spacecraft as it approaches the International Space Station. The Canadarm 2 which will grapple the spacecraft can be seen lower left.

Parking up: After a series of successful steering maneuvers, the Orbital Sciences Cygnus freighter parked about 39 feet from the station

Complex: Ten minutes later, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA's Karen Nyberg used the station's robotic arm to pluck the capsule from orbit and prepared to attach it to a berthing slip

Everybody is just so excited, Mission Control radioed. Ground teams described the achievement as epic and superb.`

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Private space ship finally makes it to space station

The International Space Station, circling just overhead. (NASA)

6:38 a.m. CDT, September 29, 2013

After a series of successful steering maneuvers, the Orbital Sciences Cygnus freighter parked about 39 feet from the station at 6:50 a.m. EDT/1050 GMT as the ships sailed 260 miles above the Southern Ocean south of Africa.

Ten minutes later, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA's Karen Nyberg used the station's robotic arm to pluck the capsule from orbit and prepared to attach it to a berthing slip.

"That's a long time coming, looks great," radioed astronaut Catherine Coleman from NASA's Mission Control in Houston.

Cygnus' arrival had been delayed a week - first by a software glitch and then by the higher priority docking of a Russian Soyuz capsule ferrying three new crewmembers to the $100 billion outpost, a project of 15 nations.

Orbital Sciences' new unmanned Antares rocket blasted off on September 18 from a new launch pad on the Virginia coast to put Cygnus into orbit.

NASA contributed $288 million toward Antares' and Cygnus' development and awarded Orbital Sciences a $1.9 billion contract for eight station resupply missions, the first of which is targeted for December.

The U.S. space agency also provided $396 million to privately owned Space Exploration Technologies to help develop the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo ship. The firm, known as SpaceX, holds a $1.5 billion NASA contract for 12 cargo runs to the station, two of which already have been completed.

On Sunday, SpaceX was poised to test an upgraded version of its Falcon 9 rocket. Launch from a new complex at Vandenberg Air Force Base, located just north of Lompoc on the central California coast.

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Commercial cargo ship reaches International Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA's newest delivery service pulled up at the International Space Station on Sunday after a week's delay, bringing more than a half-ton of meals and special treats to the astronauts who assisted in the high-flying feat.

With the smooth linkup, Orbital Sciences Corp. became only the second company to accomplish such a far-flung shipment.

The space station astronauts used their ship's huge robot arm to grab the Cygnus capsule, as the two vessels zoomed 260 miles above the Indian Ocean.

"Everybody is just so excited," Mission Control radioed. Ground teams described the achievement as "epic" and "superb."`

Orbital Sciences launched the Cygnus capsule on this test flight from Virginia on Sept. 18. It was supposed to reach the space station last Sunday, but got held up by inaccurate navigation data. A software patch fixed everything. Then the Cygnus had to wait for a Russian spacecraft bringing three new astronauts in midweek.

The successful arrival means the Virginia-based company can begin making good on a $1.9 billion contract with NASA for a series of Cygnus deliveries. The next one could fly by Christmas.

Applause could be heard in Mission Control once Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano grabbed hold of Cygnus with the space station's hulking mechanical arm.

"Good capture. That's a long time coming," Mission Control radioed.

"Smiles all around," added Orbital Sciences in a tweet.

Sunday's successful operation culminated years of effort for Orbital Sciences, which was hired by NASA along with the California-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to keep the space station well stocked in this post-shuttle era.

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NASA's new commercial supply ship reaches space station

[ISS] Launch of Manned Soyuz TMA-10M on Russian Rocket Heading to Space Station
LAUNCH REPLAYS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVkPOr2cKs0 A Russian Soyuz-FG rocket blasted off from Baikonur today, September 25th 2013 at 20:58 UTC carry...

By: SpaceVidsNet

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[ISS] Launch of Manned Soyuz TMA-10M on Russian Rocket Heading to Space Station - Video

Expedition 37/38 Launches to the International Space Station
Expedition 37/38 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA Flight Engineer Mi...

By: NASAtelevision

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Expedition 37/38 Launches to the International Space Station - Video

ISS Expedition 37 Space Station Live From Mission Control Houston September 24
ISS Expedition 37 Space Station Live From Mission Control Houston September 24.

By: Matthew Travis

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ISS Expedition 37 Space Station Live From Mission Control Houston September 24 - Video

Expedition 37/38 Crew Docks to the Space Station
After launching earlier in the day in their Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 37/38 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov ...

By: NASAtelevision

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Expedition 37/38 Crew Docks to the Space Station - Video

Starmade: Awesome space station speed build: Part 12
GeneralVonDoom today builds a small park, a booze shop and the start of a monorail. Music by Machinimasound: https://machinimasound.com/

By: GeneralDoomer

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Starmade: Awesome space station speed build: Part 12 - Video