Meanwhile, the Slip 37 whoop it up awaits the detect and berthing of Orbital Sciences' conglomerate overload craft Cygnus as it approaches the International Office Upright support. Cygnus launched Wednesday aboard an Antares missile at 10:58 a.m. EDT from NASA's Wallops Run away Smoothness in Virginia after a 24 hour hold up due to pathetic weather preventing its roll-out last to the uncluttered pad.
The Orbital Sciences Global Antares missile, following the Cygnus overload spacecraft aboard, is seen as it launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, NASA Wallops Run away Smoothness, Virginia. Cygnus is on its way to get-together following the space station. The spacecraft motivation scan about 1,300 pounds (589 kilograms) of overload, by way of food and clothing, to the Slip 37 whoop it up. Portrait Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
It has a quantity of demonstration objectives it condition supervise with NASA approves its detect by the Canadarm2 and its berthing to the Sympathetic node. The Cygnus has facing achieved three of its demonstration objectives concerning its first two years in power. The bring first demonstrated its hole and control work, or its work to accustom itself in space; glimmer, the bring turned off its engines and operated to the same degree in free drift; third, Cygnus conducted a demonstration abort stratagem.
In advance any new overload craft can plan and get-together following the station for the first time it condition features a set of objectives to indication its capabilities with it is utterly captured or docked. The resupply craft is followed personally by concise controllers on its way to the station. When the spacecraft reaches undeniable points gulp down its paw marks the flight better polls concise controllers with compassionate the "go/no-go" colony to pass on to its furthermore be a sign of.
As Cygnus meets its demonstration objectives and moves closer to the space station, Slip 37 Run away Engineers Luca Parmitano and Karen Nyberg motivation be remark and in force in dirt bike following Foretell Shortest. Parmitano motivation be in the cupola at the Canadarm2 tiller monitoring its plan. Nyberg motivation be his have up at the additional robotics life-threatening intermediate the External circumstances laboratory.
When Cygnus meets its final demonstration board of pointing a tracking laser at a reflector on the Kibo laboratory it motivation move to its detect be a sign of about 10 meters from the station. Cygnus motivation sphere off its thrusters, vigorous in free promote, and Parmitano motivation stratagem the Canadarm2 to struggle and detect the new resupply craft.
At the rear of detect, Parmitano motivation maneuver the Canadarm2 to move Cygnus and paste it to the Sympathetic node. The hatches to Cygnus are intentional to be opened jiffy leak checks and power contact.
Orbital Sciences is the glimmer whoop it up to place a conglomerate overload craft to the space station. SpaceX was the first whoop it up to place its own overload ship following two abundant conglomerate resupply missions and two demonstration missions under its whack.