posted 03-08-2016 05:01 PM               

Orbital ATK names space station freighter for fallen Columbia astronaut

The next U.S. commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station will fly with the name of the late NASA astronaut who commanded the final, ill-fated mission of the space shuttle Columbia.

Orbital ATK on Tuesday (March 8) announced that its next Cygnus spaceship is christened the "S.S. Rick Husband."

"We're proud to unveil the name of our Cygnus spacecraft — the S.S. Rick Husband, in honor of the late astronaut," the Dulles, Virginia-based company wrote on Twitter.

posted 03-22-2016 10:25 PM               

Atlas V rocket launches Orbital ATK cargo spacecraft 'SS Rick Husband'

For the second, and perhaps final time, an Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo spacecraft launched atop an Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida late Tuesday evening (March 22).

The S.S. Rick Husband, named for the late commander of the space shuttle Columbia's ill-fated 2003 mission, is now bound for a Saturday morning (March 26) rendezvous with the International Space Station, delivering more than 7,200 pounds (3,265 kg) of supplies and science experiments.

The Cygnus capsule's liftoff, from United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Complex 41 at 11:05 p.m. EDT (0305 GMT Mar 23), marked the last scheduled flight of a Cygnus on an Atlas V rocket.

posted 03-26-2016 10:14 AM               

S.S. Rick Husband berthed to space station

The S.S. Rick Husband, an Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo freighter, was berthed to the Earth-facing port on the International Space Station's Unity module at 9:52 a.m. CDT (1452 GMT) on Saturday (March 26).

Using Canadarm2, Expedition 47 commander Tim Kopra grappled the vehicle at 5:51 a.m. CDT (1051 GMT). The station crewmembers and the robotics officer in mission control in Houston then positioned the Cygnus for installation on the side of the node.

The S.S. Rick Husband is delivering more than 7,200 pounds of science, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support dozens of science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 47 and 48.

posted 06-14-2016 09:14 AM               

SS Rick Husband released from space station

NASA astronaut Tim Kopra commanded the Canadarm2 robotic arm on the International Space Station to release Orbital ATK's S.S. Rick Husband Cygnus spacecraft on Tuesday (June 14) at 8:30 a.m. CDT (1330 GMT).

Earlier, ground controllers detached Cygnus from its berth on the station and maneuvered it into place for its departure.

With Cygnus at a safe distance from the station, ground controllers at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio will initiate the Saffire-1 combustion experiment. Cygnus will continue to orbit Earth for up to eight days as it transmits imagery and data from the purposely set large-scale fire.

Following complete data transmission, the Cygnus spacecraft will make a destructive entry into the Earth's atmosphere on June 22. Imagery from Saffire will be posted as it becomes available.

posted 06-14-2016 11:12 AM               

Orbital ATK's Cygnus Spacecraft Begins Next Phase of OA-6 Mission, Conducting Science in Space

Cygnus Departs International Space Station Today After Successfully Delivering and Removing Vital Cargo

The "S.S. Rick Husband" Begins Series of Experiments, Marking First Time Cygnus Used as a Science Platform

Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced that the "S.S. Rick Husband" Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed from the International Space Station at 9:30 a.m. EDT, completing an 81-day stay at the orbiting laboratory. The mission, known as OA-6, began on March 22, 2016 when Cygnus launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Cygnus delivered 7,900 pounds (3,600 kilograms) of cargo and science experiments to astronauts aboard the station. Prior to its departure, the astronauts loaded the unmanned cargo module with approximately 4,087 pounds (1,854 kilograms) of items for disposal.

Orbital ATK's fifth mission under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services-1 (CRS-1) contract now begins its second phase before the planned reentry of Cygnus into Earth's atmosphere. Cygnus will conduct three, in-orbit science experiments: the Spacecraft Fire Experiment-I (Saffire-I), the deployment of five CubeSat satellites from the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer and the Reentry Breakup Recorder (REBR) test.

"Cygnus had a successful, two-and-a-half-month stay at the International Space Station, delivering vital cargo to the astronauts," said Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group. "Now, the work continues as we demonstrate expanded capabilities for Cygnus beyond its core cargo delivery function. The next phase of this mission marks the first time that Cygnus will serve as a research platform to support science experiments that enable deep space exploration. Our ability to conduct these tests further highlights the versatility and flexibility that Cygnus offers to our customers."

The Spacecraft Fire Experiment-I (Saffire-I) will feature the first of three tests to study the behavior of large fires in microgravity. Following departure from the International Space Station, engineers will remotely conduct the first Saffire experiment. Onboard Cygnus, the experiment developed at NASA's Glenn Research Center with the support of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Division will intentionally ignite and record a large-scale fire that will grow and advance until it burns itself out.

Next, using a deployer provided by NanoRacks, the "S.S. Rick Husband" will place five CubeSats into orbit to conduct their own autonomous missions.

The final experiment to take place aboard Cygnus features the Reentry Breakup Recorder (REBR). REBR will measure and record data during Cygnus' safe destructive reentry into Earth's atmosphere. The scheduled date for reentry is June 22, officially ending the OA-6 mission.

posted 06-22-2016 10:03 AM               

Cygnus reentered the atmosphere at 9:29 a.m. EDT [1329 GMT], concluding a successful OA-6 mission. We're happy to have honored astronaut Rick Husband.