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Forum: Commercial Space - Military Space
Topic: Orbital Sciences' Cygnus-Antares spacecraft

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Message to Edit: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	Originally posted by Robert Pearlman on 07-15-2013 04:33 PM Orbital Sciences Corporation release <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="+0">[b]COTS Demonstration Mission - Schedule Update (as of July 10, 2013)[/b]</font> <div align="justify">Orbital's Antares launch vehicle and Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft engineering and operations teams are busy preparing for the upcoming Demonstration Mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission is the final milestone in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) joint development effort with NASA. The Demonstration Mission will verify the overall capabilities of the cargo delivery system developed under the COTS effort. A successful demonstration will enable Orbital to carry out the first of eight regularly scheduled, fully operational cargo resupply missions under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program before the end of the year. Orbital's teams are now working on a schedule that would enable the company to support a launch in late August. However, the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) range has also been tasked with supporting another high-profile NASA mission, necessitating NASA to shift the COTS Demonstration Mission schedule to mid-September. Currently, priority on the WFF range has been given to NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Experiment Explorer (LADEE) mission, which is being launched aboard a Minotaur V rocket (which is designed, built and operated by Orbital). The LADEE mission has a launch window of September 6-10, with the target launch date being the 6th. Following the launch of the Minotaur V from Pad 0B at Wallops, Orbital is scheduled to conduct the launch of the COTS Demonstration Mission from Pad 0A during a window of September 14-19, with the target date being the 14th. Should preparations and processing for the LADEE mission encounter an unexpected delay, Orbital will continue to integrate the Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft to be in a position to conduct the COTS Demonstration Mission as early as the end of August, giving NASA additional options to maximize the launch manifest from Wallops. Orbital's teams are well along in preparations for the COTS Demonstration Mission. The two stages of the Antares rocket have been mated and the launch vehicle is in final integration and testing. Likewise, the Cygnus spacecraft is already fueled and loaded with about 1,300 lbs. of cargo (with an additional 250 lbs. of late load cargo expected). Soon, integration of the Cygnus spacecraft with the Antares rocket will begin, leading to launch readiness in late August. The Cygnus spacecraft is currently scheduled to berth with the ISS on September 22.</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
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