Tag: ISS
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Orbital ATK ready for Antares’ second life
Orbital ATK managers have finalized their procedures related to the newly upgraded Antares launch vehicle in readiness for upcoming missions to help deliver their Cygnus spacecraft on resupply runs to the International Space Station (ISS). The new Antares required a reworking of how to prepare the rocket for launch, such as moving away from sub-cooled…
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Astronauts repair ISS power Channel – first spacewalk for UK ends early
A pair of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducted a shortened spacewalk to replace a failed electrical component, in order to restore the station to its full power generation capacity. The spacewalk was the first ever to be conducted by a British astronaut, marking a historic moment for the UK’s space program. However,…
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NASA awards CRS2 contracts to SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada
NASA has announced the contract award winners for the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) phase of the agency’s ongoing partnership with commercial companies for cargo resupply of the International Space Station. The contact will see SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada – with Dream Chaser – perform resupply runs to Station starting in 2019. CRS2 awards: Following the success…
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Orbital ATK prepares for OA-6 Cygnus prior to Antares return
While the OA-4 Cygnus enjoys the berthed phase of her mission, Orbital ATK managers are already deep into parallel planning work with the Cygnus cargo resupply flight. The OA-6 Cygnus will also fly on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V, ahead of the company’s long-awaited transition back to its own upgraded Antares rocket. Cygnus OA-6:…
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Upgraded Progress MS docks with the ISS
The first of the upgraded Russian Progress resupply vehicles launched atop the Soyuz 2-1A from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday at 08:44 UTC, prior to docking with the International Space Station two days later. The Progress 62 (Progress MS 431) spacecraft has brought 2.5 tons of cargo, including dry cargo, propellant, water and compressed…
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EVA successfully frees stuck CETA cart outside ISS
An unplanned spacewalk has been completed on the ISS, successfully fixing a stuck transportation cart outside the station. The hardware was preventing the movement of a robotic transporter along the station’s Truss. While not a critical safety issue, the situation was highly undesirable, hence a quick resolution was required. The EVA lasted three hours and…
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Soyuz TMA-19M docks with ISS in landmark moment for UK spaceflight
The Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft has completed its fast track journey to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying three crewmembers. The launch – and what resulted in a manual docking following a KURS failure – marked a very special moment for the United Kingdom as its first “official” astronaut, Tim Peake – became the first British…
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Soyuz TMA-17M trio return back to Earth
Expedition 45 crewmembers Oleg Kononenko, Kimiya Yui, and Kjell Lindgren have completed their journey home to Earth on the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft on Friday morning. Undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) occurred at 09:47 UTC (4:47 am EST) ahead of a night landing on the Kazakh steppes at around 13:15 UTC (8:15 am EST).…
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Berthing Complete: OA-4 Cygnus arrives at the ISS
Orbital ATK’s “S.S. Deke Slayton II” Cygnus spacecraft has completed rendezvous and proximity operations with the International Space Station (ISS), allowing for capture and berthing following a two day orbital chase with the laboratory. Astronauts aboard the Station grappled Cygnus with the Station’s robotic arm at 06:19 EST Wednesday, prior to completing berthing a few hours…
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Atlas 5/Cygnus post-launch news conference
Watch the post-launch news conference from the Kennedy Space Center following the successful launch of an Atlas 5 rocket on December 6, carrying the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo ship bound for the International Space Station. See earlier Cygnus OA-4 coverage. Our Atlas archive.