{"id":19424,"date":"2016-03-27T01:14:06","date_gmt":"2016-03-26T17:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/cygnus-cargo-ship-hooks-up-to-space-station-ula-investigates-rocket-glitch\/"},"modified":"2016-03-27T01:14:06","modified_gmt":"2016-03-26T17:14:06","slug":"cygnus-cargo-ship-hooks-up-to-space-station-ula-investigates-rocket-glitch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/cygnus-cargo-ship-hooks-up-to-space-station-ula-investigates-rocket-glitch\/","title":{"rendered":"Cygnus cargo ship hooks up to space station; ULA investigates rocket glitch"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cygnus
The International Space Station\u2019s robotic arm reaches out to grapple Orbital ATK\u2019s Cygnus cargo ship in a video view with an overlay of computer data. (Credit: NASA TV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Orbital ATK\u2019s Cygnus commercial cargo ship had a smooth link-up with the International Space Station today, delivering about 7,500 pounds of supplies, equipment, experiments and high-tech gizmos. But a rocket glitch that cropped up while putting the Cygnus into orbit has led United Launch Alliance to postpone the next scheduled liftoff of its Atlas 5 rocket.<\/p>\n

The good news is that Tuesday night\u2019s anomalous rocket engine performance had no impact on the Cygnus sendoff. The uncrewed capsule made today\u2019s rendezvous right on time, and astronauts used the station\u2019s robotic arm to bring it in for its berthing.<\/p>\n

Over the next two months, crew members will unload Cygnus\u2019 cargo \u2013 including a 3-D printer, a meteor-watching experiment and tons of more mundane items. Then they\u2019ll fill it back up with trash and send it loose to burn up during atmospheric re-entry. During the descent, mission managers will use an experimental apparatus to set a fire inside the capsule and study how the flames spread.<\/p>\n