Orbital ATK’s Cygnus Successfully Launched on Seventh Cargo Delivery Mission to International Space Station
April 18 2017 - 1:56PM
Business Wire
“S.S. John Glenn” Operating as Planned Early
in Mission
Spacecraft to Arrive at Space Station on
April 22
Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, successfully launched its Cygnus™ spacecraft to the
International Space Station aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA)
Atlas V launch vehicle with approximately 7,600 pounds (3,450
kilograms) of cargo as well as 38 cubesats, many built by
university students, which will be deployed directly from either
the space station or the spacecraft in the coming months. The Atlas
V rocket lifted off at 11:11 a.m. (EDT) today from Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, Florida. The launch marks the company’s seventh
operational cargo resupply mission (OA-7) for NASA under its
Commercial Resupply Services-1 (CRS-1) contract. The spacecraft,
named the S.S. John Glenn in honor of the late astronaut, will also
become the third Cygnus to conduct scientific experiments following
its departure from the station.
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Orbital ATK’s “S.S. John Glenn” Cygnus
spacecraft successfully launches aboard a United Launch Alliance
(ULA) Atlas V rocket, bound for the International Space Station
with over 7,600 pounds of science research and crew supplies. Photo
Credit: United Launch Alliance
“Today’s successful launch reflects the remarkable efforts of
our Orbital ATK team which has now delivered its fourth Cygnus to
the space station in little over a year from two different launch
locations,” said Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK’s Space
Systems Group. “We are also pleased that Cygnus will once again
display its versatility as an in-orbit science platform for
conducting experiments and payload operations for key customers.
Finally, congratulations to NASA, ULA and Orbital ATK for their
shared teamwork in commemorating a champion of human spaceflight
through the S.S. John Glenn. We are proud to dedicate this mission
to John and his family.”
Following a 21-minute ascent, the S.S. John Glenn was
successfully deployed into its intended orbit. Orbital ATK’s
engineering team confirmed that reliable communications have been
established and that the vehicle’s solar arrays are fully deployed,
providing the necessary electrical power to operate the
spacecraft.
Cygnus will be grappled the morning of April 22 and remain
attached to the space station for approximately three months before
departing with roughly 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilograms) of disposable
cargo for a safe, destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere over
the Pacific Ocean. Cygnus’ large-volume and pressurized disposal
cargo capability, a critical service to NASA, is unique among
America’s commercial cargo providers.
For this mission, Cygnus is carrying a variety of essential
items including food, clothing, crew supplies, spare parts,
laboratory equipment and scientific experiments. Among the cargo
that will be delivered are four powered, mid-deck lockers.
Resembling freezers, these lockers receive power from Cygnus in
order to maintain a constant internal temperature after they are
loaded into the pressurized cargo module. Each locker will carry
critical science experiments for the crew.
Once Cygnus departs the space station, the spacecraft will
execute three secondary OA-7 missions. Cygnus will carry the
Saffire-III payload experiment to study the behavior of a large
fire in microgravity onboard the spacecraft. Data from this
experiment will be downloaded via telemetry to researchers on the
ground. In addition, a NanoRacks deployer will release four
cubesats used for weather monitoring and global ship tracking. The
final experiment will use three Reentry Data Collection Flight
Recorders to provide crucial data about the extreme conditions a
spacecraft encounters when reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. This
specific experiment will also test the performance of different
heat shield materials that may be used on future U.S. space
missions.
The Cygnus system consists of a common service module and
pressurized cargo module. The service module was built and tested
at Orbital ATK’s manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia. The
enhanced Cygnus also uses Orbital ATK’s UltraFlex™ solar arrays,
which are the latest in lightweight, space-qualified, electrical
power technology. Orbital ATK manufactured the arrays and composite
structures at its Goleta and San Diego, California, facilities, and
the propellant tanks for the Cygnus spacecraft at its Commerce,
California, site.
Orbital ATK’s composite structures and retro motors also
supported today’s launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket. The company
manufactured a 10-foot diameter composite heat shield for the
launch vehicle, using advanced fiber placement manufacturing
techniques at its Iuka, Mississippi facility. The Elkton, Maryland
facility contributed eight Orbital ATK retro motors, providing
thrust for separation of the spent first stage.
Pending NASA’s specific cargo needs, Orbital ATK is prepared to
launch two additional CRS missions scheduled this year that will
launch aboard the company’s Antares rockets from NASA Wallops
Flight Facility in Virginia. Beginning in 2019, Orbital ATK will
conduct a minimum of six initial cargo missions under NASA’s CRS-2
contract.
B-roll and animation footage for the OA-7 mission can be found
here: http://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/bmc/#. Please note
that media will be prompted to request a PIN for access.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space,
defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both
as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products
include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile
products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons,
armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space
components and services; and advanced aerospace structures.
Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs
approximately 12,500 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in
several international locations. For more information, visit
www.orbitalatk.com.
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Orbital ATKMedia Contact:Vicki Cox, 410-409-8723Space
Systems Group Public Relationsvicki.cox@orbitalatk.comorInvestor
Contact:Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528Public and Investor
Relationsbarron.beneski@orbitalatk.com
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