Orbital ATK’s “S.S. John Glenn” Cygnus Departs International Space Station, Begins Secondary Mission in Space
June 04 2017 - 9:36AM
Business Wire
Company Completes Successful Delivery and
Removal of Critical Cargo During Seventh Operational Mission for
NASA
Next Phase of Mission Marks Third Time
Cygnus Used as a Platform to Conduct Science Experiments in
Space
Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and
defense technologies, today announced that its Cygnus™ spacecraft
successfully unberthed from the International Space Station,
beginning the next phase of its mission before it reenters Earth’s
atmosphere. The “S.S. John Glenn” will now conduct three secondary
payload missions including the Saffire-III fire experiment,
deployment of four CubeSats and an experiment to further study
spacecraft conditions upon reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
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Cygnus now enters its next phase of the
OA-7 mission as a research platform for science experiments in
space. (Photo Credit: NASA)
“After another successful stay at the International Space
Station, we now enter the next phase of the mission which marks the
third time Cygnus has been used as a research platform for science
experiments in space,” said Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital
ATK’s Space Systems Group. “Our ability to demonstrate expanded
capabilities for Cygnus beyond its core cargo delivery function
shows a level of versatility and flexibility with a solid track
record of mission success for our customers.”
Cygnus departed from the International Space Station at 9:10
a.m. EDT, completing 44 days at the orbiting laboratory. The OA-7
mission began on April 18 when Cygnus launched aboard a United
Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station. Upon arrival at the orbiting laboratory, Cygnus delivered
approximately 7,600 pounds (3,450 kilograms) of cargo and science
experiments to the astronauts. Prior to departure, the crew loaded
the spacecraft with approximately 4,300 pounds (1,950 kilograms) of
items for disposal marking the largest amount of material removed
by Cygnus during its cargo resupply missions.
Cygnus will now conduct the Spacecraft Fire Experiment-III
(Saffire-III), marking the third time the spacecraft has been used
to study the behavior of fires in microgravity. Engineers will
remotely execute this experiment from the ground once Cygnus
departs the space station. The experiment will intentionally ignite
and record a large-scale fire that will grow and advance until it
burns itself out. All data from this experiment will be downloaded
via telemetry. The results will enable NASA to develop technologies
to reduce crew risk and make deep space exploration safer for
astronauts. Saffire-III was developed at NASA’s Glenn Research
Center with support from NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems
Division.
Next, the “S.S. John Glenn” will use a NanoRacks deployer to
release four CubeSats into orbit for 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. It
will also test the performance of different heat shield materials
that may be used on future U.S. space missions.
The OA-7 mission is scheduled to end on June 11 when Cygnus is
scheduled for a safe, destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere
over the Pacific Ocean. Stay informed with real-time updates on the
science experiments aboard Cygnus through Orbital ATK’s Twitter
account: https://twitter.com/OrbitalATK.
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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