Tag: Orbital
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ISS sails into challenging 2012 on back of successful achievements in 2011
The International Space Station (ISS) has now entered what will be a challenging new year, which will see access to the station for both crews and cargo tested, in wake of last year’s retirement of the Space Shuttle, the start of new commercial resupply flights, and recent failures of Russian launch vehicles. ISS cargo deliveries:…
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Taurus II changes name to the Antares ahead of debut launch
Orbital Sciences Corporation’s new launch vehicle – currently being developed as a simple solution to continue to support the medium class satellite market, as well as to loft much-needed cargo to the International Space Station via the company’s Cygnus spacecraft – has changed its name from Taurus II to the Antares. Name Change: In announcing…
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ISS partners prepare to welcome SpaceX and Orbital in a busy 2012
Negotiations between the numerous International Space Station (ISS) partners are starting to result in an exciting 2012 manifest, as Agency vehicles play tag team with new commercial resupply craft. From a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) standpoint, three – or four, if the C2/C3 demo slips to 2012 – SpaceX Dragon flights are set to head…
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Orbital Minotaur IV launches with TacSat-4
An Orbital Minotaur IV+ rocket has launched from Kodiak Island, Alaska, on Tuesday, carrying an experimental communications satellite for the United States Navy and Operationally Responsive Space Office. Liftoff was on schedule at 15:49 UTC (07:49 local time). Minotaur IV Launch: TacSat-4 is the third in a series of experimental satellites intended to demonstrate new technologies for…
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Ariane 5 ECA launches with Arabsat-5C and SES-2
Arianespace have returned to action on Wednesday, as their Ariane 5 ECA launched two more telecommunication satellites into orbit – namely Arabsat-5C and SES-2. Launch from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, was on schedule, at the start of a 40 minute launch window, which opened at 9:38pm UTC. Ariane 5 ECA Launch Overview:…
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Orbital’s Cygnus preparing for the opening salvo to regain US independence
While Russian engineers continue to investigate the failure of their Progress M-12M, which crashed in Eastern Russia on Wednesday, half a world away Orbital welcomed their first pressurized cargo module (PCM) for its Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, in preparation for leading the charge of America’s own commercial cargo…
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ISS Managers Conduct Expedition 29 FRR, Prepare Station for Post-Shuttle Ops
International Space Station (ISS) program managers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) have completed the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for the upcoming ISS Expedition 29 on Wednesday. The FRR included a thorough review of all aspects of the Expedition 29 increment, the conclusion of which resulted in all groups issuing a Certification of Flight Readiness (CoFR)…
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Orbital Minotaur IV launches hypersonic vehicle – HTV-2b lost during flight
Orbital Sciences Corporation launched a Minotaur IV rocket carrying an experimental hypersonic prototype for the United States Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency into space on a suborbital trajectory. The rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 8 at 14:45 UTC (07:45 local time) on Thursday. However, the HTV-2b…
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Atlantis gifts TriDAR to Orbital’s Cygnus for ISS rendezvous and docking
Adding to the long list that is her legacy, Atlantis’ successful final test of Neptec’s TriDAR rendezvous and docking system has resulted in Orbital completing a deal to use high tech sensors on their Cygnus spacecraft. With the orbiter’s also testing DragonEye for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, the two commercial vehicles will “Tally Ho” the ISS…
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Orbital Minotaur I launches with ORS-1 following eventful count
Orbital Sciences Corporation have launched the ORS-1 spacecraft for the United States’ Operationally Responsive Space Office via the tenth flight of a Minotaur I rocket, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island. The successful launch – at 11:09pm Eastern – came after a weather related scrub on Tuesday and two delays during Wednesday’s countdown…