posted 06-07-2016 04:31 PM               

S.S. Alan Poindexter: Orbital ATK freighter named for late shuttle astronaut

A NASA space shuttle commander who died in a 2012 water sports accident is being remembered with the naming of a space station-bound resupply vehicle, the company behind the spacecraft has announced.

"[The] OA-5 Cygnus [cargo spacecraft] will be named after former NASA astronaut and naval officer Alan Poindexter," Orbital ATK wrote on Twitter on Tuesday (June 7).

The S.S. Alan Poindexter will launch on Orbital ATK's sixth NASA-contracted mission to deliver scientific experiments, supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. The uncrewed, solar-powered capsule will be the first to fly on the company's redesigned Antares 230 rocket since an earlier Cygnus freighter was destroyed in a launch failure in October 2014.

posted 07-14-2016 01:19 PM               

Orbital ATK is targeting no earlier than Aug. 22 for the lift off of its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad-0A at Wallops. The spacecraft will carry crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 48 and 49 crews.

posted 08-10-2016 08:34 AM               

Orbital ATK completed a stage test at the end of May and final data review has confirmed the test was successful, clearing the way for the Antares return to flight. Simultaneously, the company has been conducting final integration and check out of the flight vehicle that will launch the OA-5 mission to ensure that all technical, quality and safety standards are met or exceeded.

Due to a variety of interrelated factors, including the company's continuing processing, inspection and testing of the flight vehicle at Wallops Island, and NASA's scheduling of crew activities on the International Space Station in preparation for upcoming cargo and crew launches, Orbital ATK is currently working with NASA to target a window in the second half of September for the launch of the OA-5 mission. A more specific launch date will be identified in the coming weeks.

posted 09-20-2016 03:40 PM               

Orbital ATK is targeting a five-day launch window of October 9-13, 2016 for the Antares OA-5 launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. A more specific date will be identified upon completion of final operational milestones and technical reviews.

Launch times during this window range from 10:47 p.m. EDT (Oct. 9) to 9:13 p.m. EDT (Oct. 13). The arrival and berthing of Cygnus to the International Space Station will be determined by the exact launch date and in coordination with other space station activities.

posted 10-04-2016 08:53 AM               

NASA and Orbital ATK successfully completed a pre-launch Flight Readiness Review (FRR) and established a targeted launch date of October 13 for the OA-5 cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station.

In preparation for the mission, final integration of the company's Cygnus spacecraft and Antares rocket is now underway, with roll out to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A anticipated to take place on October 11.

For an October 13 launch, liftoff is scheduled at 9:13 p.m. EDT and will be visible along the East Coast depending on atmospheric conditions. This schedule is subject to completion of all remaining pre-launch integration and testing activities and acceptable weather conditions prior to and during launch operations.

posted 10-10-2016 11:39 AM               

In coordination with its NASA customer, Orbital ATK has rescheduled the launch of the OA-5 CRS mission for Friday, October 14.

The updated schedule now includes roll-out of the Antares rocket to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport launch pad on Wednesday, October 12. Liftoff of the Antares rocket on October 14 is planned for 8:51 p.m. (EDT), with the rendezvous of the "S.S. Alan Poindexter" Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft with the International Space Station expected at approximately 6:05 a.m. (EDT) on Monday, October 17.

The Antares and Cygnus team encountered and resolved a minor vehicle processing issue over the weekend which, together with time spent on contingency planning for Hurricane Matthew, necessitated the one-day slip. This updated schedule is still subject to the completion of all remaining pre-launch testing and operational activities, as well as acceptable weather conditions prior to and during launch operations.

posted 10-11-2016 04:01 PM               

Orbital ATK and NASA have rescheduled the launch of the OA-5 CRS mission for Sunday, October 16, 2016, with a launch time of 8:03 p.m. EDT, due to an updated weather forecast of hurricane Nicole's projected impact on a required range tracking asset in Bermuda.

The range has implemented all protocols to secure the facility from the approaching storm. The Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft are in the final stages of integration and will roll to the pad later this week.

This updated schedule is still subject to the completion of all remaining pre-launch testing and operational activities, as well as acceptable weather conditions prior to and during launch operations.

posted 10-15-2016 06:03 AM               

Orbital ATK's OA-5 mission launch operations remain on track as the team works toward a night launch on Sunday (Oct. 16) at 8:03 p.m. EDT from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The launch was expected earlier in the week, but was postponed as hurricane Nicole hit Bermuda where a launch-critical NASA tracking station is located. NASA confirmed that the site experienced minor damage that has been repaired and the Bermuda team is preparing to suppprt the launch.

The upgraded Antares rocket carrying the S.S. Alan Poindexter Cygnus spacecraft rolled to the pad on Thursday (Oct. 13) and was raised to the vertical position. Pad integration is underway.

The mission team will hold a Launch Readiness Review (LRR) on Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT, which is when the final decision to proceed to launch will be made.

posted 10-16-2016 12:02 PM               

Today's (Oct. 16) launch of Orbital ATK's Antares rocket is postponed 24 hours due to a ground support equipment (GSE) cable that did not perform as expected during the pre-launch check out. We have spares on hand and rework procedures are in process.

The Antares and Cygnus teams are not currently working any technical issues with the rocket or the spacecraft.

posted 10-17-2016 07:27 PM               

Orbital ATK launches 'SS Alan Poindexter' cargo craft on Antares' return to flight

A U.S. commercial rocket launched an uncrewed cargo craft to the International Space Station Monday evening (Oct. 17), marking the booster's return to flight after almost exactly two years.

Orbital ATK's Antares rocket lifted off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's (MARS) Pad 0-A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the eastern shore of Virginia at 7:45 p.m. EDT (2345 GMT). The launch debuted the first use of the company's redesigned Antares rocket since a catastrophic anomaly destroyed an earlier version of the booster and its Cygnus resupply vehicle just seconds into flight in October 2014.

posted 10-23-2016 09:08 AM               

Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo resupply spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station early in the morning Eastern Standard Time [Sunday, Oct. 23], and was grappled by astronauts using the station's robotic arm at 7:28 a.m. EDT.

The Cygnus was berthed to the station's Unity module at 10:53 a.m. EDT. In the next few days the crew will open the hatch and begin to unload the cargo.

posted 11-21-2016 07:57 AM               

The OA-5 Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the International Space Station at 8:22 a.m. EST on Nov. 21, 2016. The spacecraft delivered essential supplies to astronauts on board, and will now release several NanoRacks Cubesats and conduct the Saffire-II experiment for NASA's Glenn Research Center.

Cygnus is scheduled to re-enter the atmosphere on Sunday, Nov. 27.