Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013
Yesterday at 14:58 GMT the Cygnus spacecraft was launched on top of an Antares rocket by the Orbital Sciences Corporation.
Cygnus will rendezvous with the International Space Station on September 22 for demonstration resupply mission.
Cygnus is a spacecraft designed to transport cargo to the ISS, it being the second commercial American spacecraft to undertake such a journey, the other one being SpaceX's Dragon. However Cygnus has a lot smaller payload capability and is of course meant only for supplies and not manned missions like Dragon. The Standard variety of Cygnus can deliver 2000 kg of payload, however from the fourth spacecraft onwards it is planned to use the Enhanced variety, which would be able to carry a payload of 2700 kg.
The next two Cygnus launches are planned for December 8, 2013 and May 8, 2014.
Cygnus will rendezvous with the International Space Station on September 22 for demonstration resupply mission.
Cygnus is a spacecraft designed to transport cargo to the ISS, it being the second commercial American spacecraft to undertake such a journey, the other one being SpaceX's Dragon. However Cygnus has a lot smaller payload capability and is of course meant only for supplies and not manned missions like Dragon. The Standard variety of Cygnus can deliver 2000 kg of payload, however from the fourth spacecraft onwards it is planned to use the Enhanced variety, which would be able to carry a payload of 2700 kg.
The next two Cygnus launches are planned for December 8, 2013 and May 8, 2014.
Labels: Cygnus, Orbital Sciences Corporation