Orbital ATK Successfully Launches Eighth Cargo Delivery Mission to the International Space Station
November 12 2017 - 10:15AM
Business Wire
Antares Rocket Boosts Approximately 7,400
Pounds, Its Heaviest Load to Date
Cygnus to Host Science Experiments While
Docked With Station
Orbital ATK (NYSE:OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, successfully launched its Antares™ rocket carrying a
Cygnus™ spacecraft today at 7:19 a.m. EST, from NASA’s Wallops
Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. The launch is Orbital
ATK’s eighth cargo delivery mission to the International Space
Station for NASA. During the mission, designated OA-8, Cygnus will
deliver vital equipment, supplies and experiments to the astronauts
aboard the space station, as well as conduct scientific experiments
onboard Cygnus while docked with the orbiting laboratory.
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Orbital ATK's Antares rocket launched the
company's Cygnus spacecraft loaded with approximately 7,400 pounds
(3,350 kilograms) of cargo to the International Space Station
November 12, 2017. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Antares rocket launched the Cygnus spacecraft loaded with
approximately 7,400 pounds (3,350 kilograms) of cargo to the crew
of six who are aboard the space station. Following an approximate
nine-minute ascent, the “S.S. Gene Cernan” Cygnus spacecraft, named
in honor of the late astronaut and the last man to leave the moon,
was successfully deployed into orbit. Orbital ATK’s engineering
team confirmed reliable communications have been established and
the vehicle’s solar arrays are fully deployed, providing the
necessary electrical power to operate the spacecraft.
“While the Antares team celebrates a successful launch today,
we’re already well into building the vehicles for the next two
missions,” said Scott Lehr, President of Orbital ATK’s Flight
Systems Group. “We will be ready to launch again whenever Cygnus
needs us.”
Cygnus will be grappled at approximately 4:50 a.m. EST on
November 14. The spacecraft will remain attached to the space
station for approximately three weeks before departing with more
than 4,000 pounds (approximately 2,000 kilograms) of disposable
cargo. Cygnus’ large-volume disposal capability, a critical service
to NASA, is unique among America’s commercial cargo providers.
“Today’s successful launch of the OA-8 Cygnus on our Antares
launch vehicle once again demonstrates the reliability of Orbital
ATK’s hardware along with our commitment to deliver critical cargo
to astronauts on the International Space Station,” said Frank
Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK’s Space Systems Group. “Soon,
Cygnus will rendezvous with the space station to deliver valuable
scientific experiments, hardware and crew supplies to the orbiting
platform. On this mission, Cygnus will again display its
flexibility as an in-orbit science platform by supporting
experiments to be performed inside the cargo module while attached
to the space station. We are proud to dedicate this mission to
Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan and his family and look forward to
celebrating the OA-8 contributions to science in his name.”
Upon arrival at the space station, the “S.S. Gene Cernan” Cygnus
will be unloaded and used for the first time as an extension of the
orbiting laboratory for an experiment featuring a SpaceTango
facility. TangoLab is a reconfigurable general research facility
designed for microgravity research and development. This exercise
will highlight the ability to expand the station’s capabilities for
hosting experiments using the Cygnus module. During the three weeks
Cygnus remains docked, the astronauts on the space station will
perform the transfer of the lab to Cygnus and then back to the
station where it will remain. Once Cygnus is unberthed, a NanoRacks
deployer will release 14 Cubesats, a record number for the
spacecraft. Upon completion of its secondary missions, Cygnus will
perform a safe, destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere over
the Pacific Ocean.
Under the CRS-1 contract with NASA, Orbital ATK will deliver
approximately 66,000 pounds (30,000 kilograms) of cargo to the
space station. Beginning in 2019, the company will carry out a
minimum of six cargo missions under NASA’s CRS-2 contract. This
partnership is cultivating a robust American commercial space
industry, freeing NASA to focus on developing the next-generation
rocket and spacecraft that will enable humans to conduct deep space
exploration missions.
The Antares rocket systems are manufactured and engineered by
Orbital ATK’s Flight Systems Group primarily in Chandler, Arizona,
and Dulles, Virginia, with rocket integration taking place at
NASA’s Horizontal Integration Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia.
The vehicle includes two RD-181 engines from Energomash, a core
from Yuzhmash and a CASTOR® 30XL solid rocket motor second stage
manufactured at Orbital ATK’s facilities in Clearfield and Magna,
Utah.
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.
Orbital ATK manufactures several other Cygnus components at three
of the company’s facilities in California: UltraFlex™ solar arrays
in Goleta, composite structures in San Diego and propellant tanks
in Commerce.
B-roll and animation footage for the mission can be found here:
http://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/bmc/#. Please note that media
will need 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 13,000 people across the U.S. and in several
international locations. For more information, visit
www.orbitalatk.com.
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Antares Media:Orbital ATKTrina Patterson,
801-699-0943Launch Vehicles Division Public
Relationstrina.patterson@orbitalatk.comorCygnus
Media:Orbital ATKVicki Cox, 410-409-8723Space Systems Group
Public Relationsvicki.cox@orbitalatk.comorInvestors:Orbital
ATKBarron Beneski, 703-406-5528Public and Investor
Relationsbarron.beneski@orbitalatk.com
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