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ЦитироватьULA rep: Atlas V will help Orbital ATK's Cygnus get back in the game
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/234600.jpg)
Orbital's Cygnus space, despite the loss of the Orb-3 mission last year, will fly this year - atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket. Photo Credit: NASA         
             
Jason Rhian
March 16th, 2015          
                                 
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — After the Oct. 29, 2014, loss of an Orbital Sciences Corporation (http://www.orbital.com) Antares booster, the Cygnus spacecraft and the estimated 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) of cargo it carried, one of the first questions many had asked was: "What will they do now?" The firm, based in Dulles, Virginia, was relying on its Antares launch vehicle, which had already traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) successfully three times and had flown four times overall to carry out missions to the outpost. Now the company would have to be swift on its feet and find another path to orbit.
With its booster on the sidelines as Orbital investigated the problem, it found a solution and implemented needed changes – how would it fulfill its obligations under the $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract? The answer lies in one of the most reliable rockets that is currently in service – United Launch Alliance's (http://www.ulalaunch.com) Atlas V.
It was announced in Nov. 2014 that Orbital had tapped the Atlas to fly at least one mission in 2015 and the company is planning on stocking the Cygnus that will carry out this mission with 7718 lbs (3500 kg) of supplies to the space station. This is compared to 7,991 lbs (3,625 kg) that the three prior flights had successfully delivered to the orbiting laboratory.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/234622.jpg)
According to Thorpe, the 401 configuration of the Atlas V has more than enough thrust to ferry a fully-laden Cygnus to orbit. Photo Credit: NASA
 
ULA will use the 401 configuration of the Atlas V, the lightest capacity booster fielded by the aerospace firm based in Centennial, Colorado. The launch vehicle will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) no-earlier-than (NET) the latter half of 2015.
Although the first four flights of Antares were, by and large, flawless – the fact that the rocket employed 40-year-old rocket engines was a subject of concern in aerospace circles. Originally dubbed the "NK-33" in the early 1970s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau (in fact, the rocket's very initials come from its chief designer – Nikolay Kuznetsov), these engines were originally intended for use on the Soviet Union's massive N-1 Moon rocket.
The Atlas V booster has been used for all manner of missions, running the gamut from those carried out for the Department of Defense, planetary and science missions for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and also commercial payloads – such as the Worldview-3 spacecraft launched on Aug. 13, 2014 – from Vandenberg Air Force Base located in California.
The flight of Cygnus on an Atlas V will certainly mark one of the more unique missions of 2015.
If everything goes according to plan, there will be only one flight of Cygnus on Atlas as the company is currently planning to return the Antares to flight in 2016. However, as the likely cause of the loss (http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/commercial/insider-exclusive-images-orbitals-antares-rockets-fiery-destruction/) of Antares last October was either a turbopump failure in one of the two AJ26 rocket engines that Antares used in its first stage failing or debris within the engine itself, the company has tapped another Russian-made engine – the RD-181 – for use on Antares.
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Since the loss of the Cygnus CRS Orb-3 in October of last year Orbital ATK has worked to return its Cygnus spacecraft to flight. Photo Credit: Joel Kowsky / NASA
 
SpaceFlight Insider works to bring you, the viewer, on the "inside" – whenever possible. As such, we sat down with ULA's Vern Thorp to find out more about this mission – specifically about what differences there will be between a typical flight of an Atlas V, as opposed to the one that will carry Cygnus on the first part of its journey to the International Space Station.

SpaceFlight Insider: Thanks for chatting with us today Vernon. What does this mission mean for United Launch Alliance? How unique is it in terms of what your company does?
Thorp: "At a very, very top level it looks different because, you know, it'll be a cargo mission, it'll be our first one and there are some unique aspects in terms of processing to get us ready for it.  Once we dug into the details and started working with Orbital, talking to them about what it would take to fly this mission, it turns out that it looks very 'standard' to us.
"When we fly the typical NASA science missions, oftentimes, they have to buy not only a standard launch service but they have all kinds of mission-unique requirements that we have to accommodate. Some examples would be, say, for instance, the Pluto New Horizons and the Mars Science Lab Curiosity missions we have to put in these gigantic doors in the payload fairing (PLF) so people can mount nuclear power sources and [there are] all sorts of special air conditioning and sometimes even fluid systems requirements."

SpaceFlight Insider: So the size of Cygnus did not cause any issues or drastic changes?
Thorp: "For the Cygnus cargo module, although it's big and it looks very different from most of the spacecraft that we fly, it's actually very compatible with our standard launch service," Thorpe said. "The primary technical difference that we had to accommodate – was the mechanical interface. Cygnus uses one of the standard separation systems and interface ring sets that RUAG (the manufacturer of the payload fairings that ULA utilizes) manufactures in Sweden. But it is an interface that we have not flown before, so we are developing a new payload adapter to be compatible with that wider interface ring. Aside from that? There are very few, what we call mission-unique services required. In fact, it's pretty much on the low end compared to many of the NASA missions that we fly."
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/234604.jpg)
Unlike the Atlas V that carried out the launch of NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission on March 12, the Atlas that will be used to send the Cygnus CRS Orb-4 to the ISS will not utilize any solid rocket motors. Photo Credit: Mike Howard / SpaceFlight Insider
 
SpaceFlight Insider: Are there any difficulties in sending Cygnus to the ISS?
Thorp: "For this mission, we will be flying to low-Earth orbit and, in terms of our experience base, we've flown a lot of missions to low-Earth orbit, we fly them frequently, but we usually fly them from Vandenberg. Many of the NASA science missions, including the SMAP mission that we recently launched on a Delta II, went into a low-Earth orbit; I think it was a 370 nautical mile, almost circular orbit, and we do that a lot out of Vandenberg," Thorpe said. "So this will be a bit different in that we are flying out of the Cape. Launches that we conduct from the Cape are usually headed to a geosynchronous transfer orbit or, sometimes, we take them all the way out to GEO or, for the NASA interplanetary missions, we take them to [an] escape [trajectory]. So, this will be the first time in a long time, the first time in my experience certainly, that we have flown a low-Earth orbit mission out of Cape Canaveral. Obviously, that is what is required to place Cygnus in an orbit that will allow it to travel to the International Space Station."

SpaceFlight Insider: What will Atlas/Centaur do in terms of getting Cygnus' cargo to the ISS?
Thorp: "What we will do is take the cargo module to a little bit below the space station orbit and then after we separate them (from Atlas' Centaur upper stage) they will do some additional maneuvering to properly phase with the station and, eventually, get up to their exact orbit."

SpaceFlight Insider: The outward appearance of Cygnus lends to the impression that the 401 configuration of Atlas might not have the upmass capability required for such a flight; obviously, this is an inaccurate assessment?
Thorp: "We have plenty of performance on the 401 configuration of the Atlas V to be able to do this mission. You know, if you compare the performance level of the 401 to the Antares that they were using when they launch out of Wallops, Atlas actually has more capability – it's a bigger vehicle. So, even though we are launching out of a different location, we have plenty of performance to match what Orbital's Antares is able to do; in fact, we're able to offer a little more performance.
"One of the things that Orbital is going to do is to investigate how they can take advantage of that extra capability and maybe load a little extra cargo on board. So the goal, and it is certainly technically feasible, is to have significantly greater amount of cargo when they fly on top of an Atlas, to help them meet their overall commitment to NASA. In fact, I think when Orbital put out their first press release on this last year, they even said that they should with one or two Atlas launches – they should be able to meet their commitment on total cargo taken to the station with one less launch than they had originally envisioned."

SpaceFlight Insider: How many flights does Orbital currently have with ULA?
Thorp: "What we have right now is the capability to offer them a couple of rides. One this year and one next year, if they need it. What Orbital will do is, they will assess... their ability to get Antares up and operational and – if they conclude that they can do that in a timely manner and go be able to meet all of their requirements with just a single Atlas launch – there are provisions within the contract that allow them to do that. If they decide that they want the second Atlas launch? There are provisions within the contract that accommodate that as well. I think the way that they characterized it in their press releases was that they got one launch with an option for one more and that's a fair way to categorize it.
"The first launch will be late this year, with a second one possible – if they choose to go forward with it – would be in 2016. They are trying to maintain some flexibility to be able to deal with whatever they find as they try to get Antares back on line."
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The launch of Cygnus CRS Orb-4 is currently slated to take place in the fourth quarter of this year. Photo Credit: Mike Deep / SpaceFlight Insider
 
SpaceFlight Insider: We were surprised that ULA tapped the four instead of the five meter fairing to carry out this mission.
Thorp: "Keep in mind that we have three different lengths of that four-meter fairing and Cygnus definitely pushed us to the longest version. So, for our four meter fairing, we have three different configurations; the standard one, we call the 'LPF' – that acronym goes back into ancient history is used to stand for 'large payload fairing' that was used back to when we were flying the 11 foot diameter as well as the 14 foot diameter. That was a standard size; then, in the mid-90s, to accommodate the EOS-Terra (http://terra.nasa.gov/) mission for NASA which we launched in 1999, we actually implemented a three-foot stretch to the cylindrical section of the fairing and we called that our 'EPF' or extended payload fairing.
"There was another mission, one I believe for the DoD (Department of Defense) that required even more volume and they inserted another three foot plug. There's like a three-foot barrel section, if you will. We added one to the EPF and then we added another one, which created our longest version, which we called the 'XEPF' and that's like the extra-long payload fairing. That third version, that longest version that we have, the Cygnus configuration will... absolutely require that. It is a tight fit – definitely. You know, we've got a static envelope that, if a payload stays within that envelope, then, once you account for all of the vibration movement that happens during flight, you ought to be okay and one of the first things we did when we began working with Orbital was to verify that it could fit in that XEPF, and it's a tight fit – but it does."

SpaceFlight Insider: Vern, the big question – when will we see this launch?
Thorp: "We're notionally out in the fourth quarter of this year and I don't know if I can talk about specific dates, it is... the only thing that is constant about launch schedules is that they change all the time. But we're looking at the middle of the fourth quarter right now and we're protecting the ability to go earlier if we need to, so we are prepared to launch anytime in the fourth quarter of this year.
"The actual date that we pick will depend on how the other launches move around and it will also depend on the arriving and departing vehicle schedule up at the space station, because it's obvious that we have to coordinate with that and I suspect that the schedule with the folks down at Johnson Space Center manage all of the activities at the station and when they can accommodate an arriving vehicle – that will probably be one of the primary determinations of what the launch date is when we get there and I'm guessing we'll have a really good handle on that six months in advance."

SpaceFlight Insider: Vern, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us today.
Thorp: "My pleasure!"
 
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/234619.jpg)
Thorpe stated that, by and large, launching Cygnus to the ISS should pose little problem for ULA. Photo Credit: NASA

ЦитироватьGrumant пишет:
Пишите по-русски на русском форуме! Сколько можно это повторять??
Текст на иностранном языке БЕСПОЛЕЗЕН.
Ферштейн?

ЦитироватьGrumant пишет:
Сам учи, умник!
Переводи и потом печатай на форуме, андестенд?
Русский форум не засоряй иностранщиной.

ЦитироватьGrumant пишет:
Модератор, объясни товарищу, что нехорошо использовать на российском форуме иностранные языки. Спасибо.

ЦитироватьGrumant пишет:
Поставили все с ног на голову, дельно!
Если ты, уважаемый пользователь, нашёл "первоисточник", то найди и перевод нормальный или сам переведи, "вручную", потрать ещё пятнадцать минут. Выкладывать длинные английские портянки много ума не надо, в надежде на "коллективный разум форума". Скопировал текст, отправил, сиди, кури.
Предлагаете, значит, перейти на иврит и фарси? Ну-ну, лиха беда начало... В общем, вам видней, модератор новостей космонавтики.

Цитироватьsnek пишет:
tov. Grumant

ЦитироватьGrumant пишет:
Модератор, объясни нам, пожалуйста, мы на каком форуме находимся? Если на российском, то обяжи всех пользователей выражаться по-русски. Кто не хочет по-русски говорить, пусть идут в другое место. 

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
 Сало может и английского не знает.

ЦитироватьDec. 3 • Atlas 5 • Orb-4
Launch window: TBD
 Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

ЦитироватьChris B - NSF ‏@NASASpaceflight  (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 24 минуты назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/629658176502300673)
ARTICLE: Cygnus set for December Atlas V ride ahead of Antares return - http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/orb-4-cygnus-set-atlas-v-ride-ahead-antares-return/ ... (http://t.co/bjg2hXmZpc)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/158502.jpg) (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/629658176502300673/photo/1)
Chris B - NSF ‏@NASASpaceflight  (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 23 минуты назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/629658431515947008)
@NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) That amazing render of Cygnus riding with Atlas V is from Nathan Koga - who is our L2 artist and incredibly talented!

ЦитироватьThe Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module for the OA-4 mission arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on August 10 for processing in preparation for the upcoming CRS space station resupply mission to be launched from Florida in early December.

ЦитироватьSalo пишет:
Осталось получить к РД-181 баки от Атласа и будет им счастье.

ЦитироватьApollo13 пишет:

ЦитироватьSalo пишет:
Осталось получить к РД-181 баки от Атласа и будет им счастье.

Не. Они хотели только РД-180 и это желание уже исполнилось. Просто не совсем так как им хотелось. Вторым пунктом был РД-0124...

ЦитироватьOrbital ATK Ships Service Module for Next Cygnus Cargo Mission
by Dan Leone (http://spacenews.com/author/dan-leone/) — October 12, 2015
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155530.jpg)
The Cygnus service module will be mated to the cargo module (above), which arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in August for a planned December launch on an Atlas 5 rocket. Credit: NASA/KSC  
 
WASHINGTON — Orbital ATK shipped the service module for a Cygnus cargo capsule to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the start of final assembly on the first such vehicle bound for the International Space Station since the last one was destroyed in a launch failure nearly one year ago, the company announced Oct. 12.
The Orbital ATK-made service module now will be mated with its pressurized cargo vessel, manufactured by Europe's Thales Alenia Space, in preparation for a scheduled Dec. 3 launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, Orbital ATK said in a press release. The service module provides propulsion, electrical power, avionics and communications for the cargo carrier.
This upgraded Cygnus will be the largest ever launched, carrying about 3.5 metric tons of cargo to ISS — nearly a ton more than the ill-fated Cygnus that was destroyed shortly after liftoff from Virginia last October. The latest Cygnus will also be the first to use Orbital ATK's in-house Ultraflex solar arrays; the craft previously used arrays provided by Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands.
Orbital ATK plans to launch at least two Cygnus capsules aboard Atlas 5 rockets, in December and March, as it recovers from the Oct. 29, 2014, failure of its own Antares rocket, which exploded moments after liftoff from the Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia. The mission was supposed to be the company's third paid cargo run to ISS for NASA.
The next Orbital ATK cargo launch from Wallops is slated for "the first half of the year," the company said, aboard an a new Antares variant featuring the Russian-made RD-181 main-stage engine. Previous versions of Antares used the Russian-built, U.S.-refurbished AJ-26, which has been blamed for the October failure.
Orbital ATK's indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA is good through 2018 and has a maximum value of $3.1 billion, meaning NASA may order as many flights under the contract as $3.1 billion will buy.
NASA ordered the equivalent of eight flights from Orbital ATK in 2008, worth $1.9 billion at the time. Earlier this year, the agency ordered two more Orbital ATK deliveries but declined to disclose their value.

ЦитироватьOrbital ATK Completes Significant Milestone on International Space Station Cargo Delivery Mission for NASA

Cygnus Service Module Shipped to Kennedy Space Center for December Launch

OA-4 Mission on Schedule to Meet Cargo Requirements for NASA


Dulles, Virginia 12 October 2015 – Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announced it has shipped the Cygnus spacecraft's service module to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for the next International Space Station (ISS) cargo mission, scheduled to launch on Thursday, December 3. Today's OA-4 mission milestone marks a key step forward as Orbital ATK continues its cargo delivery service to the ISS for NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.

The Cygnus spacecraft will be assembled at Kennedy and launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The mission serves as the first flight of the enhanced variant of the Cygnus spacecraft, capable of delivering more than 7,700 pounds of essential crew supplies, equipment and scientific experiments to astronauts on board the ISS.

The service module, which houses the spacecraft's avionics, electrical, propulsion and communications systems, will integrate with an extended pressurized cargo module (PCM) already in place at the Kennedy Space Center. The PCM's capability to deliver larger volumes of cargo to the station aboard the powerful Atlas V provides even greater support to NASA's continued research and utilization of the International Space Station. The spacecraft will also use the latest in lightweight space-qualified power system technology with the addition of the company's UltraFlex solar arrays. OA-4 marks the first mission to use the UltraFlex solar arrays which were produced by Orbital ATK's Space Components Division.

"These are exciting times for the Cygnus team at Orbital ATK," said Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group. "With OA-4 set to launch in December and at least three additional missions to the Space Station planned in 2016, we remain solidly on schedule to meet our CRS cargo requirements for NASA. Our team's performance in meeting milestones on an accelerated timeline demonstrates the company's flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs."

Final assembly, cargo loading and fueling of the Cygnus spacecraft will take place at the Kennedy Space Center prior to its integration with the Atlas V rocket. Like most Orbital ATK spacecraft, Cygnus is designed to be compatible with multiple launch vehicles. This capability supports NASA's requirements for additional cargo and also provides better schedule assurance for future missions.

While preparations continue for OA-4 later this year, three CRS missions are scheduled for 2016 to support NASA's ISS cargo needs, leading off with a second Atlas V launched mission fr om Kennedy Space Center in the spring, followed by the return of operations to the Wallops Flight Facility in the first half of the year wh ere the company will continue CRS missions on an upgraded Antares. The PCMs and Service Modules for the three 2016 Cygnus spacecraft missions are essentially complete and will be shipped to the respective launch sites a couple of months prior to their launch dates.

About Orbital ATK

Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies.  The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier.  Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs more than 12,000 people in 20 states across the U.S. and in several international locations.  For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com .

Цитировать http://ria.ru/space/20151014/1301911123.html
ВАШИНГТОН, 14 окт — РИА Новости.
 Первый после аварии в 2014 году старт космического грузовика Cygnus американской компании Orbital ATK к Международной космической станции (МКС) намечен на 3 декабря, сообщило NASA в среду.

Cygnus, который на орбиту выведет ракета-носитель Atlas V, должен доставить на МКС около 3,5 тонны груза. Старт ракеты с комическим аппаратом предварительно намечен на 18.00 3 декабря (1.00 мск 4 декабря) с космодрома на мысе Канаверал (штат Флорида).

Помимо провианта, воды и предметов первой необходимости грузовик доставит на орбитальную станцию материалы для научных экспериментов и оборудование. В числе прочего экипаж получит микроспутник, который впервые будет выведен на орбиту с МКС.

Orbital ATK осуществляет доставку грузов на МКС на корабле Cygnus по контракту с NASA. Компания прекратила запуски после того, как ракета носитель Antares, также принадлежащая Orbital, взорвалась в момент старта на космодроме Валлопс (США) 28 октября 2014 года. Предстоящий полет Cygnus к МКС станет первым после аварии и, как отмечает NASA, предстоящая миссия станет первым полетом обновленного аппарата Cygnus.

Спойлер

Orbital ранее сообщала, что в 2016 году по контракту с NASA будет осуществлено по меньшей мере три миссии: две при помощи ракеты Antares, еще одна будет выполнена при помощи ракеты Atlas V, принадлежащей альянсу ULA.

[свернуть]

Цитироватьhttp://www.nasa.gov/press-release/media-accreditation-open-for-orbital-atk-mission-to-resupply-space-station
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/231570.jpg)
Artist's concept of Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft in orbit.
Credits: Orbital ATK
NASA has opened media accreditation for the fourth commercial resupply services launch of an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft filled with cargo for the International Space Station. The launch is currently targeted for Thursday, Dec. 3 during a 30-minute window that opens at approximately 6 p.m. EST.

The Cygnus will lift off aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida. The mission will be the first flight of the enhanced variant of Orbital ATK's Cygnus advanced maneuvering spacecraft, capable of delivering more than 7,700 pounds of essential crew supplies, equipment and scientific experiments to the station.

Science payloads include a new life science facility that will support studies on cell cultures, bacteria, and other micro-organisms; a microsatellite deployer and the first microsatellite to be deployed from the space station; experiments that will study the behavior of gases and liquids and clarify the thermo-physical properties of molten steel; and evaluations of flame-resistant textiles.

Цитироватьhttp://www.nasa.gov/feature/cygnus-segment-arrives-to-begin-processing-for-iss-resupply-mission
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/231549.jpg)
The Cygnus pressurized cargo module sits in the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

ЦитироватьCygnus service module arrives in Florida for station flight      
Posted on October 14, 2015 by Stephen Clark (http://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154772.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154772.jpg)
The Cygnus service module for the OA-4 space station resupply mission arrives at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. Credit: Orbital ATK
 
The power and propulsion section of Orbital ATK's next Cygnus supply ship, featuring new solar panel and fuel tank designs, arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday to be joined with a cargo module for a Dec. 3 launch to the International Space Station.
The shipment comes nearly one year after Orbital ATK's last space station supply flight crashed seconds after liftoff fr om Wallops Island, Virginia, aboard the company's own Antares booster. Orbital ATK engineers blame the failure on one of the Antares main engines, and officials purchased two Atlas 5 rockets from United Launch Alliance to keep the Cygnus missions flying while a new engine model is added to the Antares.
The Cygnus service module was trucked from Orbital ATK's headquarters in Dulles, Virginia, wh ere it departed its factory Monday. The spacecraft arrived at Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility for attachment to a pressurized cargo module made by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy.
The supply section traveled from Italy to Florida by ship, reaching the launch base Aug. 10. The pressurized module will carry up more than 7,700 pounds (3,500 kilograms) of food, provisions and experiments for the space station and its six-person crew.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154774.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154774.jpg)
The Cygnus service module is pictured at Orbital ATK's Dulles, Virginia, headquarters before shipment to the Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations. Credit: Orbital ATK
 
Launch is currently set for Dec. 3 at 6:02 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 launch pad. The launch window extends 30 minutes.
The service module for the Dec. 3 launch includes upgrades to its power-producing solar panels and propellant tanks. Beginning with the next mission, future Cygnus spaceships will fly with fan-shaped unfoldable "UltraFlex" solar arrays that are lighter than the conventional wing-like solar panels made by Dutch Space fitted to previous Cygnus cargo craft.
The solar panel switch is an instance of in-sourcing by Orbital ATK. Circular UltraFlex solar arrays, which measure about 12 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter on Cygnus, are made in-house by the company's space components division at a facility in Goleta, California.
The Thales-built pressurized cargo module is also extended about 3 feet (1 meter) in length on all future Cygnus missions, adding more volume for supplies.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154773.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154773.jpg)
The mission patch for Orbital ATK's OA-4 space station resupply flight. Credit: Collectspace.com (http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-101415a-orbital-atk-cygnus-oa4.html) / Orbital ATK
 
Designated OA-4, the mission is the fourth of 10 flights under a commercial contract between Orbital ATK and NASA. The contract allows the space agency to order as many missions as will fit under a $3.1 billion cost cap, and officials have not disclosed the worth of three extra cargo flights added on top of the deal's original $1.9 billion value.
A fifth Cygnus flight is on track for launch around March 10 aboard another Atlas 5 booster. It will be called OA-6 in Orbital ATK's naming scheme.
Frank Culbertson, president of Orbital ATK's space systems group, told Spaceflight Now last week the Antares rocket is scheduled to return to flight from its Virginia launch site in May 2016 on the OA-5 cargo delivery sortie.
Orbital ATK paid for the two Atlas 5 missions out of its own capital reserves, at no cost to the U.S. government, officials said.
  Spaceflight Now members can read a transcript of our full interview (http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/10/08/qa-with-frank-culbertson-president-of-orbital-atks-space-systems-group/) with Frank Culbertson. Become a member today and support our coverage.  
"These are exciting times for the Cygnus team at Orbital ATK," Culbertson said in a statement. "With OA-4 set to launch in December and at least three additional missions to the Space Station planned in 2016, we remain solidly on schedule to meet our CRS cargo requirements for NASA. Our team's performance in meeting milestones on an accelerated timeline demonstrates the company's flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs."
In the coming weeks, technicians will mate the Cygnus service module with its cargo element, then transfer it to a nearby fueling facility for loading of maneuvering propellant, final time-critical cargo items and encapsulation inside the Atlas 5 rocket's nose cone.
Ground crews will transfer the Cygnus inside the Atlas payload fairing to the rocket's Vertical Integration Facility in November to be hoisted atop the Atlas 5 for launch.

Цитироватьanik пишет:
4 декабря 02:03 - запуск Cygnus (OA-4)
6 декабря 14:05 - захват и пристыковка Cygnus (OA-4) к нижнему узлу модуля Unity

ЦитироватьОчередной грузовой транспортный корабль SignusCygnus (OA-4), который планируется запустить 3 декабря нынешнего года с мыса Канаверал с помощью ракеты-носителя Atlas-5, получит собственное имя "Дик Слейтон" (Deke Slayton).
Имя Слейтона носил и другой корабль SignusCygnus (Orb3), который разбился во время аварии ракеты-носителя Antares 28 октября 2014 года.
Будем надеяться, что второму Слейтону повезет больше, чем первому

Цитироватьpnetmon пишет:
Очередной грузовой транспортный корабль Signus (OA-4)...
/.../
Будем надеяться, что второму Слейтону повезет больше, чем первому

ЦитироватьAtlas V to Launch OA-4 Mission for Orbital ATK and NASA
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/235320.jpg)

Rocket/Payload: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 will launch Orbital ATK's Cygnus™ spacecraft on the initial leg of its cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Date/Site/Launch Time: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The mission will launch during a 30-minute window that opens at approximately 6 p.m. EST.

Mission Description: Cygnus is a low-risk design incorporating elements drawn from Orbital ATK and its partners' existing, flight-proven spacecraft technologies. Cygnus consists of a common Service Module (SM) and a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM). The SM is assembled and tested at Orbital ATK's Dulles, Virginia, satellite manufacturing facility and incorporates systems from Orbital ATK's flight-proven LEOStar™ and GEOStar™ satellite product lines. The PCM is based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), developed and built by Thales Alenia Space of Italy.

The Cygnus spacecraft for the OA-4 mission is the first to employ the longer, "enhanced," PCM which can carry a greater volume of cargo than the PCM flown on previous missions, and lightweight UltraFlex arrays developed and built by Orbital ATK's Goleta, California, facility.

Launch Notes: OA-4 will mark the 60th launch of the Atlas V and the 30th launch in the 401 configuration. It also marks ULA's first mission supporting ISS cargo resupply.

Launch Updates: To keep up to speed with updates to the launch countdown, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321 or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch (https://www.facebook.com/ulalaunch), twitter.com/ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) and instagram.com/ulalaunch (https://instagram.com/ulalaunch); hashtags #Cygnus, #OA4 and #AtlasV

Go Atlas! Go Centaur! Go OA-4!

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185647.png) Orbital ATK Подлинная учетная запись ‏@OrbitalATK  (https://twitter.com/OrbitalATK)
The latest pics of #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) processing for the #OA4 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/OA4?src=hash) cargo mission in Dec. show spacecraft prep for encapsulation.
 
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/158788.png)
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/158787.png)
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/158786.png)
 10:41 - 3 нояб. 2015 г.

ЦитироватьG_old_Truman пишет:
Какой ракетный двигатель нынче Лебедя запускать будет? Вместо прошлогоднего? Пару слов накарябайте, плиз...

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)  
Scimemi: Orb-4 is scheduled for launch Dec. 3, but could be moved up a day or so; being worked now with ULA.
  7:11 - 5 нояб. 2015 г.

ЦитироватьNov. 10, 2015
Cygnus Starts Final Round of Processing for Station Cargo Delivery

By Anna Heiney
 NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The next U.S. cargo delivery to the International Space Station is steadily progressing toward launch.
An Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft is at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida undergoing a final round of prelaunch preparations for its December liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. This will be Orbital ATK's fourth commercial resupply flight to the station and will carry more than 7,000 pounds of supplies, equipment and research to keep the station stocked and capable of serving as a platform for studies off the Earth, for the Earth.
The Atlas first-stage booster arrived Nov. 8 aboard the United Launch Alliance barge, the Delta Mariner.
The uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft comprises a pressurized cargo module and an attached service module housing the onboard propulsion system and twin power-producing solar arrays.
Processing began with the Aug. 10 arrival of the Cygnus pressurized module, followed by the service module about two months later. Both were delivered by flatbed truck to Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). The pressurized module was loaded with cargo Oct. 19 and 20, rotated to vertical and mated to the service module on Oct. 22, clearing the way for the journey to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility.
The PHSF has played host to a variety of planetary probes, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope and Orion spacecraft – but Cygnus marks another first.
"This is the first time a spacecraft bound for ISS has processed within this facility," said Launch Site Integration Manager Mark Shugg.
The spacecraft's arrival in the PHSF high bay kicked off a series of processing steps beginning with the loading of the spacecraft's propellants, hydrazine and an oxidizer. In the coming days, it will be rotated into the horizontal position, allowing Orbital ATK engineers and technicians to load late-stow cargo items into the pressurized module. Finally, Cygnus will be returned to vertical and sealed within the Atlas V payload fairing, an activity slated for Nov. 17.
At that point, its next stop is Space Launch Complex 41.
"This has been an extremely accelerated process, to get from an initial starting point early this year and be at the point of accepting them into our facility. We accomplished in a few months what we would normally do in two years of preparation for our typical Launch Services Program spacecraft customers," Shugg said.
"We are very happy to extend the use of our facility to this cause. There is no other facility on [Kennedy Space Center] property that has the capability to perform the hazardous processing that is required for this mission," he added.
This mission marks the first flight of the Cygnus since Oct. 28, 2014, when the company's Antares rocket suffered a catastrophic anomaly resulting in the loss of the spacecraft and its cargo shortly after liftoff from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
"With a new customer like Orbital ATK/Cygnus, there is a learning curve from both sides as we develop a working relationship. Working on such a tight schedule has caused the teams to immerse themselves in each other's culture and develop that relationship quickly," Shugg said.
Kennedy teams were flexible and responsive as Orbital ATK adapted to the condensed timeline, according to ISS Launch Support Project Manager Randy Gordon.
"They had to move their spacecraft, equipment, people and overall operations to this new location in an extremely short time," Gordon explained.
"It was good having them in the SSPF," he added. "They have a lean workforce, but they worked hard and stayed on schedule."
While the Cygnus is readied for flight, the Atlas V rocket is coming together as well. The vehicle's Centaur upper stage was trucked to the Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Oct. 27.
The Atlas booster and Centaur will be joined together on the launch pad in time for the arrival of the payload fairing on Nov. 20 – leaving Cygnus poised for liftoff on a new voyage to deliver eagerly awaited supplies and research to the orbiting laboratory.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/231505.jpg) (http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/2015-3229.jpg)
The Cygnus spacecraft arrives in the high bay at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF). In the background are the two halves of the Atlas V payload fairing.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett
 
[IMG ]https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/231523.jpg[/IMG]
Engineers and technicians load equipment aboard the Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft.
Credits: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
 
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/231524.jpg)
The Cygnus spacecraft lowers into position atop its service module.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett
 
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/231525.jpg)
The Centaur upper stage slated to help deliver the next U.S. cargo delivery to the International Space Station is transported to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center near Space Launch Complex 41 from the Horizontal Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 37.
Credits: Photo credit: Jim Grossmann
 
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/231526.jpg)
A transporter carrying the Orbital ATK Cygnus pressurized module exits the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin the move to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility.
Credits: NASA/Dan Casper

ЦитироватьStacking starts for Atlas 5 cargo run to space station with Cygnus       
Posted on November 11, 2015 by Justin Ray (http://spaceflightnow.com/author/justin-sfn-ray/)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154792.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/AtlasV_OA4.jpg)
The mission poster. Credit: ULA
 
CAPE CANAVERAL — United Launch Alliance today began stacking its first Atlas 5 rocket to fly in service to the International Space Station, a commercial mission to send supplies to the orbiting complex.
This launch, planned for Dec. 3, and another targeted for March 10, are precursors to the much larger role the Atlas 5 rocket will begin playing in International Space Station operations starting in 2017. That is when the Atlas will begin launching astronauts to the station inside Boeing-built Starliner space capsules for NASA.
But first up will be unmanned cargo-delivery flights using Orbital ATK Cygnus freighters. The two rides aboard Atlas rockets were purchased by Orbital ATK as gap-fillers while working in parallel to return its Antares booster to flight by mid-2016.
As the Cygnus undergoes final preparations across the river at Kennedy Space Center, crews at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 this morning brought the Atlas 5 rocket's first stage to the Vertical Integration Facility and put the vehicle on stand.
The rocket, designated AV-061, will launch in the basic, 401-variant that features an RD-180 main engine powering the first stage and an RL10 on the Centaur upper stage. The Cygnus will be enclosed in a 14-foot-diameter aluminum nose cone for atmospheric ascent.
The stacking work began as the bronze-colored, 106.6-foot-long, 12.5-foot-diameter first stage was pulled to the Vertical Integration Facility doorway, erected upright and hoisted inside the building to be put aboard the mobile launcher platform.
The stage arrived at the Cape from ULA's Alabama factory via ocean-going ship over the weekend.
Known as the Common Core Booster, the stage produces 860,000 pounds of thrust to lift the rocket off the ground. It burns kerosene fuel and supercold liquid oxygen during the initial minutes of flight.
Upcoming, the barrel-like interstage adapter and Centaur upper stage will be lifted in place. Centaur is 41.5 feet in length, 10 feet in diameter and is fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
The payload will be encapsulated in the nose cone at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility on Nov. 16 and delivered to the VIF for attachment to the launch vehicle on Nov. 20.
Earlier in November, Cygnus was fueled with its maneuvering propellants and the last cargo items in the "late-stow" category were packed aboard.
Liftoff on Dec. 3 will be possible during a 30-minute launch window opening around 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT). That will send Cygnus on a course to rendezvous with the station on Dec. 6 at about 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT).
The launch will be the 60th Atlas 5 rocket since 2002 and its 13th commercial flight. For United Launch Alliance, it is the company's 103rd launch overall since 2006 and the 12th this year.

Цитировать

[/li]
• 4:30 p.m., Thursday, December 3 - Coverage of the Launch of the Orbital Sciences/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Mission from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida (Launch scheduled at 5:55 p.m. ET; coverage will end shortly after spacecraft separation from the Centaur Upper Stage at appx. 6:16 (all channels)
• 6:30 p.m., Thursday, December 3 - Coverage of the Deployment of the Solar Arrays on the Orbital Sciences/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Cargo Craft (Solar Array deployment is initiated at appx. 6:50 p.m. ET and is complete by appx. 7:08 p.m. ET) (Starts at 6:45pm) (all channels)
• 8 p.m., Thursday, December 3 - Orbital Sciences/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Post-Launch News Conference (time subject to change) (all channels)
• 4 a.m., Sunday, December 6 - Coverage of the Rendezvous and Grapple of the Orbital Sciences/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Cargo Craft at the ISS (Grapple scheduled at 5:30 a.m. ET) (all channels)
• 7 a.m., Sunday, December 6 - Coverage of the Installation of the Orbital Sciences/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Cargo Craft to the Unity Module of the ISS (Starts at 7:15am) (all channels)
  

Цитироватьanik пишет:
4 декабря 01:55 - запуск Cygnus (OA-4)
6 декабря 13:30/~15:15 - захват и пристыковка Cygnus (OA-4) к нижнему узлу модуля Unity манипулятором SSRMS

ЦитироватьStation-bound cargo ship shown to press before launch       
Posted on November 14, 2015 by Justin Ray (http://spaceflightnow.com/author/justin-sfn-ray/)   
          
The Orbital ATK's Cygnus commercial resupply spacecraft, named the SS Deke Slayton II, is packed up and poised for launch to the International Space Station.
Engineers showed the vessel to local reporters and photographers at the Kennedy Space Center's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility on Friday. It will be encapsulated in the Atlas 5 rocket's 14-foot diameter aluminum nose cone on Monday and moved to the United Launch Alliance vehicle integration facility next Friday for mating to the booster.
Liftoff is planned for approximately 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT) on Dec. 3.
Cygnus is carrying 7,383 pounds of provisions for the International Space Station, not counting packing materials. The total mass with packing is 7,745 pounds.
The spacecraft, which stands 21 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter, will weigh 16,517 pounds at launch, the heaviest payload ever for an Atlas rocket.
Photos: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now

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Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185659.jpg) James Dean Подлинная учетная запись ‏@flatoday_jdean  (https://twitter.com/flatoday_jdean)  
Orbital ATK has named OA-4 Cygnus spacecraft the "S.S. Deke Slayton II"; failed Orb-3 mission was Slayton I.
  10:39 - 13 нояб. 2015 г.

ЦитироватьSpaceflight Now ‏@SpaceflightNow  (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) 5h ago (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/665754162366423040)

Photos of Atlas 5 first stage being erected onto mobile launch platform for Dec. 3 cargo flight for space station

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185659.jpg) James Dean Подлинная учетная запись ‏@flatoday_jdean  (https://twitter.com/flatoday_jdean)  
At KSC, OA-4 Cygnus has been encapsulated in its Atlas V payload fairing; rolls to pad early Friday.
  10:49 - 16 нояб. 2015 г.  

Цитироватьhttps://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67530.jpg[/IMG] Spaceflight Now ‏@SpaceflightNow [/URL]
Elements of Atlas 5 and Cygnus cargo spacecraft, set to launch Dec. 3 for the space station [url=https://t.co/36KINrShci]http://spaceflightnow.com/tag/av-061/  (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow]%20%5BIMG)
 
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 17:18 - 15 нояб. 2015 г.

ЦитироватьExplained: Why Atlas 5 will have longer windows for station flights       
Posted on November 18, 2015 by Justin Ray (http://spaceflightnow.com/author/justin-sfn-ray/)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154795.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/cygnus4.jpg)
Atlas 5 launch. Credit: ULA
 
CAPE CANAVERAL — Expanding a single instant in time to 30 minutes, the upcoming United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rockets with Cygnus cargo-delivery freighters bound for the International Space Station will have an unprecedented opportunity available to launch each day.
The first of two such launches in a 100-day span fr om Cape Canaveral, known as the OA-4 mission for Orbital ATK, is scheduled for Dec. 3. The pair of flights will deliver over 15,000 pounds of supplies to the outpost.
The timing for a launch to the station, flying 250 miles above the Earth, is dictated by getting into the orbital plane of the complex for a rendezvous.
"Instantaneous launch windows are the standard way to accomplish a rendezvous mission with a low-earth object like the ISS, and this approach can significantly lim it the probability of an on-time launch," said Jim Sponnick, ULA's vice president for Atlas and Delta programs.
"A mission like this needs to be delivered to the right orbit, including precise timing relative to the ISS, to enable a timely rendezvous between the Cygnus and the ISS."
The SpaceX Falcon 9, Russian Soyuz, European Ariane 5 and Japanese H-2B rockets all have instantaneous launch windows for space station missions, giving them a split second each day to fly or else scrub.
The now-retired space shuttle had 10 minutes and the Orbital ATK Antares rocket has had between five and 10 minutes.
That leaves little time to wait for a stray rain shower to pass by, a technical gremlin to be resolved or a boat in restricted waters to be chased away.
But it will be a bit different for the Dec. 3 flight of the Atlas 5 from Cape Canaveral and another cargo mission for the rocket coming up March 10.
The performance of the Atlas 5 will produce a 30-minute launch window each day.
"It is all about available energy to steer you to the right place," said Dan Tani, a former astronaut who spent 120 days living and working aboard the station on Expedition 16 and now Orbital ATK's manager of mission and cargo operations.
"There is an ideal launch moment, and that's what SpaceX targets. A lot of other launch vehicles use excess performance to not have to hit a moment and use that energy to steer to the right place.
"Atlas has so much available energy that they can accommodate what I consider a very large, off-nominal time of launch — 15 minutes early, 15 minutes late. That is a lot of steering, but they have that capability and they are the ones that came to us and asked if they could have that margin. And it gives them a lot of flexibility around weather, around the unknowns."
Sponnick added: "The ULA team always strives to implement longer launch windows in our mission designs, to maximize the probability of a first-day launch for our customers. We have been enhancing our mission design capabilities and operational processes for years in order to make good use of the launch vehicle performance to provide the flexibility to accomplish launch window objectives.
"These enhancements include the development of steering algorithms to compensate for the rotation of the Earth relative to the orbital target."
The launch window on Dec. 3, based on current projections, opens at approximately 5:55:41 p.m. EST (2255:41 GMT). That will be upd ated based on radar tracking of the International Space Station and determination of its precise orbit.
"For the OA-4 mission, the ULA mission design team has worked very closely with the Orbital ATK team to provide a design approach that enables a longer launch window. The OA-4 launch design approach accounts for the fact that the ISS orbit can change shortly before the launch, if either an overall orbit adjustment or evasive debris mitigation maneuver is required," Sponnick explained.
"Considering the capabilities inherent in the Atlas design, the late changes that can occur in the ISS orbit, and the close coordination with the Orbital ATK Cygnus rendezvous design, we have implemented a 30-minute long window, which will occur within a bounding 50-minute-long window that accounts for the potential late orbital changes for the ISS."
Taking everything into account, the launch team will se t five discrete launch opportunities — one at the opening of the launch window and four other shots spaced at 7.5 minute intervals.
* 5:55:41 p.m. EST
 * 6:03:11 p.m. EST
 * 6:10:41 p.m. EST
 * 6:18:11 p.m. EST
 * 6:25:41 p.m. EST
 *times are approximate
"We target the first launch opportunity. We've made that decision because there is no benefit in waiting for the middle of the window," Tani explained.
"Since they have the energy, we aren't losing anything, they don't drop us off lower (in altitude) at the edges of the window than at the middle of the window. They drop us off at the same place. So it's in our interest to get flying as soon as possible, so we're targeting the beginning of the window."
And getting off the ground as soon as possible has other considerations, too.
"December is an extremely busy time for the space station. There's a lot of comings and goings with the Russian vehicles. So that restricts our ability to approach. Right now, launch dates of (Dec.) 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th are fantastic. Anything after that we would really have to do some head-scratching and some desk-pounding to figure out when we would approach the space station," Tani said.
December 3
 Launch: 5:55:41 p.m. EST
 ISS arrival: Dec. 6
December 4
 Launch: 5:33 p.m. EST
 ISS arrival: Dec. 7 or 8
December 5
 Launch: 5:10 p.m. EST
 ISS arrival: Dec. 9
December 6
 Launch: 4:44 p.m. EST
 ISS arrival: Dec. 19
One other scenario is, if the flight is delayed, the Cygnus could launch later and then hang around in orbit for a couple of weeks before the rendezvous.
"We have a couple weeks of loiter capability, so that's in our box of tricks. But right now, if we miss the 6th, we would have to wait almost a month to get to the station," Tani said.
One of the Russian Soyuz capsules at the station will relocate from one docking port to another on Dec. 11. Three new residents launch aboard another Soyuz on Dec. 15 and a Progress cargo ship goes up Dec. 21 and docks Dec. 23. Three station residents undock Dec. 21 for landing.
There's also a solar-angle blackout period for the Cygnus to launch from Christmas Eve through Jan. 3.

ЦитироватьSFN пишет:
Это про то, что РД-180 ну очень сильный движок?  ;)

ЦитироватьOrbital ATK's enhanced Cygnus spacecraft was transported to Space Launch Complex 41 early this morning and was lifted to the top of a waiting United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for launch Dec. 3 on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Спойлер

Sealed inside a protective payload fairing, the 20.5-foot-long Cygnus left the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at about 3:20 a.m. EST. It arrived at the pad at about 5:30 a.m. A crane at the Vertical Integration Facility at SLC-41 hoisted the spacecraft and fairing into place on the Atlas V with the first phase of the connection complete around 9:30 a.m.

The spacecraft and fairing will be secured in place and a series of tests run to confirm a proper attachment. The enhanced Cygnus, which carries 25 percent more mass than the previous version, has been loaded with more than 7,100 pounds of equipment and supplies that will be used by the space station crew for daily operations and to conduct cutting edge science on the orbiting laboratory. Launch time Dec. 3 is 5:55 p.m. EST to set up a rendezvous with the station Dec. 6. The launch window extends 30 minutes.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьInternational Space Station cargo ship hoisted atop Atlas 5 rocket       
Posted on November 20, 2015 by Justin Ray (http://spaceflightnow.com/author/justin-sfn-ray/)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154793.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/av_gpsiif10_m3710201592859PM63.jpg)
File photo of payload hoisting. Credit: ULA
 
CAPE CANAVERAL — Loaded with over 7,300 pounds of goods for the International Space Station, a commercial Cygnus cargo vessel was mounted atop its Atlas 5 rocket booster today for launch Dec. 3.
Just over a week after stacking of the two-stage launcher began at the Vertical Integration Facility adjacent to the pad at Complex 41, the encapsulated payload was installed to top off the 194-foot-tall rocket this morning.
Shrouded in the 45-foot-long, 14-foot-diameter nose cone of the Atlas 5 and already packed full of its space station supplies, the Cygnus was trucked overnight from Kennedy Space Center's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
An overhead crane at the VIF picked up the 16,517-pound freighter, maneuvered it into the Atlas integration building and set it in place for mating to the Centaur upper stage.
The rocket and spacecraft will undergo a tip-to-tail electrical checkout next week, followed by the Thanksgiving break and a series of final readiness reviews clear the vehicle for flight. Rollout to the launch pad occurs at 10 a.m. EST on Dec. 2.
This will be the heaviest payload ever launched by an Atlas rocket and the vehicle's first flight dedicated to the International Space Station.
The OA-4 Cygnus is carrying 7,383 pounds of provisions to the station, not counting packing materials. The total mass with packing is 7,745 pounds.
Among the specifics:
-Crew supplies: 2,604 pounds
 -Vehicle hardware: 2,220 pounds
 -Science utilization: 1,867 pounds
 -EVA gear: 500 pounds
 -Computer resources: 192 pounds
The Dec. 3 launch will put the Cygnus on a path leading to intercept of the station on Dec. 6. Liftoff will be possible during a 30-minute launch window opening at approximately 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT).
The launch window is much longer than other station-bound vehicles given the Atlas 5 rocket's performance and its capability to navigate into the orbital plane of the laboratory.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185623.jpg) Tory Bruno Подлинная учетная запись ‏@torybruno  (https://twitter.com/torybruno)  
InfoG: Mighty Atlas' unique ability to get this dbl load to ISS on L-Day #1: Sophisticated RAAN Steering & raw power  
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/158951.jpg)
 6:50 - 21 нояб. 2015 г.

ЦитироватьNASA Kennedy / KSC ‏@NASAKennedy  (https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy)  4 ч.4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/668835161979625472)  
.@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) centaur stage was mounted atop an Atlas V rocket that will boost @OrbitalATK (https://twitter.com/OrbitalATK) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft to #ISS (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISS?src=hash).  
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/158921.jpg)
  8:55 - 23 нояб. 2015 г. · Подробнее (https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/668835161979625472)  

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185647.png) Orbital ATK Подлинная учетная запись ‏@OrbitalATK  (https://twitter.com/OrbitalATK)  
#Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft for #OA4 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/OA4?src=hash) @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) resupply mission mated to @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) rocket. Launch scheduled for Dec 3.  
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/158923.jpg)
  10:37 - 23 нояб. 2015 г.  

ЦитироватьPhotos: Assembling Atlas 5 for International Space Station launch       
Posted on November 24, 2015 by Justin Ray (http://spaceflightnow.com/author/justin-sfn-ray/)
       
Relive the steps to stack the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral's Vertical Integration Facility for the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo freighter flight to the International Space Station. The first stage was erected initially, followed by the combined interstage and Centaur upper stage, then the encapsulated payload.Launch is planned for Dec. 3 at 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT).
Photos: NASA-KSC
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154807.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/stack01.jpg)
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(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154815.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/stack09.jpg)

See earlier Cygnus OA-4 coverage (http://spaceflightnow.com/tag/av-061/).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154816.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/stack10.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154817.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/stack11.jpg)
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(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154824.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/stack19.jpg)
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(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/154828.jpg) (http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/stack22.jpg)

ЦитироватьCygnus Prepared for Atlas Launch to Space Station
by Jeff Foust (http://spacenews.com/author/jeff-foust/) — November 25, 2015
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155551.jpg)
Engineers prepare to transport Orbital ATK's enhanced Cygnus spacecraft, fitted inside the payload fairing of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5, fr om the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to Space Launch Complex 41. Credit: ULA  
 
WASHINGTON — Preparations for the first launch of a Cygnus cargo spacecraft in more than a year, and the first on an Atlas 5 rocket, have gone smoothly despite some changes in timing of loading cargo on the spacecraft, an Orbital ATK executive said.
An Atlas 5 is scheduled to launch the Cygnus craft from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Dec. 3. The launch will be the first for the Cygnus since the October 2014 failure of Orbital's Antares rocket shortly after liftoff from Wallops Island, Virginia.

Спойлер

Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital purchased the Atlas 5 launch from United Launch Alliance shortly after the failure, and in August acquired a second Atlas 5 for a Cygnus mission planned for March 2016. While the Cygnus has not previously flown on the Atlas, integrating the cargo spacecraft to the rocket has gone well.
"It's actually been very rewarding," Frank Culbertson, president of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group, said in a Nov. 18 interview about the company's relationship with ULA . "We found them very easy to work with in that regard and it's been a good collaboration. We're very proud of wh ere we've gotten in such a short period of time."
This mission, designated OA-4 by Orbital ATK, is the first "enhanced" version of the Cygnus spacecraft with a larger cargo module, and will carry more than 3,500 kilograms of supplies. The payload includes a combination of space station hardware, crew supplies and experiments.
One challenge Orbital encountered during planning for this mission is that the Cygnus is encapsulated inside the Atlas payload fairing much earlier in launch preparations than it was for Antares launches. That eliminates the ability to accommodate "late load" cargo — cargo that is added to the spacecraft shortly before launch.
"It's difficult to load items late in the flow at this point," Culbertson said. The Cygnus was sealed inside the fairing more than two weeks before launch, timing he said was dictated by ULA's standard payload processing schedule for Atlas missions. "We had to fit into their current way of doing business."
The early cutoff for loading payload became an issue after the station suffered a malfunction Nov. 13 that shut off one of eight channels that relay electric power. While the problem does not affect station operations, NASA considered flying replacement hardware on the upcoming Cygnus mission.
"It turned out that could have been done, but it would have delayed the launch," Culbertson said, because Cygnus was already being installed in the payload fairing. "The pros and cons of all the various factors resulted in NASA deciding not to try to destack and load it late."
That hardware in question will instead fly on a later cargo mission.
The lack of late-load cargo also means that, unlike many other such missions, this one won't provide any fresh fruit or other perishable items for the station's crew. "It wouldn't be fresh when it got there," he said.
December's Cygnus mission will be followed by another Atlas launch of a Cygnus, called OA-6, in March. Orbital ATK plans to resume Cygnus launches on an upgraded version of its Antares rocket in May from Wallops.
"Things are going very well at Wallops," Culbertson said, praising work by NASA and the state of Virginia to repair the pad damaged in last October's launch failure. "They modified some of the systems, replaced a few items, and painted everything. It looks great."
Orbital is planning to conduct a hot-fire test of the Antares, now equipped with two RD-181 engines from the Russian company Energomash, on the pad in March. Culbertson said the integration of the new engines into the Antares first stage has gone well, and that only minor changes to the pad were needed to accommodate the engine.
The long-term future of both Antares and Cygnus, though, hinges in large part on whether Orbital ATK can secure another NASA contract to deliver cargo to the station. The company was one of several that submitted proposals to NASA nearly a year ago for the agency's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) 2 competition. NASA has delayed awarding CRS-2 contracts several times, and now plans to announce them as late as the end of January.
Culbertson would not say much about the ongoing competition, other than  that Orbital was responding to a NASA request for updated information about its proposal. "We'll follow their direction and wait for their selection," he said.
The long delay on the CRS-2 contracts, he suggested, has affected Orbital's plans to procure components for future Cygnus missions. "Any delay in a contract like that has impacts on what you're ordering and what you're spending," he said.

[свернуть]

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185659.jpg) James Dean ‏@flatoday_jdean  (https://twitter.com/flatoday_jdean)   19 часов назад (https://twitter.com/flatoday_jdean/status/670973626187956225)
Early Cape Canaveral forecast 60% "go" for Dec. 3 launch of Atlas V rocket, OA-4 Cygnus cargo mission to ISS: http://1.usa.gov/1kQIsjI  (https://t.co/bJkWFsbu2y)

ЦитироватьLanista пишет:
Подскажите, а в чем соль круглых СБ, на Орионе тоже такие раньше рисовали. В чем выигрыш?

ЦитироватьJeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 4m ago (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672069438431223808)

Rollout underway. #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)

ЦитироватьOleg пишет:
Когда пуск?

Цитироватьpnetmon пишет:
www.ulalaunch.com (http://www.ulalaunch.com)
Date/Site/Launch Time: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The 30-minute launch window opens at 5:55 p.m. EST.
Viewing the Launch by Webcast: The live webcast will begin at 4:30 p.m. EST.

ЦитироватьJeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672136264120991746)  
Shireman: put some critical on-orbit spares on this flight, since we're consuming those as well as food, water, etc. #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672135287020068864)  
McNamara: "fairly favorable conditions" expected tomorrow, though, after front passes early morning. #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672134712421404676)  
Todd McNamara: weather good now, but "ominous weather front" coming our way. #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672134410213457920)
Thorp: will do a second Centaur burn after Cygnus separation for a controlled reentry of the stage. #cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/cygnus?src=hash)

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672133336723267584)  
Vern Thorpe, ULA: working with Orbital team has gone very smoothly, as well as with Air Force and FAA (for comm'l license). #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672132867372261376)  
Culbertson: we'll fly 3 Cygnus missions in less than 6 months: OA-4 tomorrow, OA-6 in early spring, OA-5 (on Antares) in late spring.

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)  3 ч.3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672131808327286785)  
Orbital ATK's Frank Culbertson: it's been a challenge to get to this point after last year's accident. Quite an accomplishment for industry.

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)  3 ч.3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672130856581005312)  
Shireman on consumables: 2015 a "difficult year" for us, but in good shape. Looking forward to cargo being brought up on Cygnus.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672123555405045760)  
Ken Shields, CASIS: this flight includes five student experiments lost in previous launch failures. #cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/cygnus?src=hash)

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672119324056772608)
McCormack: our (STM)Sat-1 cubesat's payload includes a medal blessed by the Pope.

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672115644637278208)  
Acronym of the day: SIMPL (Satlet Initial-Mission Proofs and Lessons), from NovaWurks, also flying on this #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) mission.

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672115050354778112)  
"God willing, and weather holding," notes Eleanor McCormack, principal of the school.

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)  4 ч.4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672114937188216833)  
This launch includes the first cubesat built by an elementary school, St. Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington, Va.

ЦитироватьJeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   1 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672546150474514437)
Reset T-0 for 6:03:15 pm EST. #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)  

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
Погода не айс (((

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
А кто знает, что это дожигается у Атласа??

Цитировать2240 GMT (5:40 p.m. EST)
 DELAY. Liftoff will not happen at 5:55:45 p.m. EST due to unacceptable local weather. The target launch time has shifted to the next opportunity at 6:03:15 p.m. EST.
 
2236 GMT (5:36 p.m. EST)
 T-minus 4 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the planned 15-minute hold to give the launch team a chance to review all systems and assess the weather before pressing ahead with liftoff.
But at this time the weather is NO GO due to clouds and disturbed conditioned.
 
2235 GMT (5:35 p.m. EST)
 T-minus 5 minutes. Standing by to go into the final built-in hold.
 
2228 GMT (5:28 p.m. EST)
 Weather remains NO GO with little hope of clearing the violation of the launch rules.
 
2226 GMT (5:26 p.m. EST)
 The launch director has instructed the team to not perform the fuel-fill sequence for the first stage main engine at this time, pending weather.
 
2225 GMT (5:25 p.m. EST)
 Here's a look at some stats about today's mission. This will be:

[/li]
• The 642nd launch for Atlas program since 1957
• The 347th Atlas launch from Cape Canaveral
• The 231st mission of a Centaur upper stage
• The 208th use of Centaur by an Atlas rocket
• The 464th production RL10 engine to be launched
• The 9th RL10C-1 engine launched
• The 66th flight of the RD-180 main engine
• The 60th launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
• The 13th commercial mission for an Atlas 5
• The 90th Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle flight
• The 103rd United Launch Alliance flight overall
• The 52nd Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
• The 40th 400-series flight of the Atlas 5
• The 30th Atlas 5 to fly in the 401 configuration
• The 5th Cygnus spacecraft to launch
• The 4th Orbital ATK Commercial Resupply Services mission
• The 11th Combined launch under CRS program for NASA
• The 1st Cygnus on an Atlas rocket
• The 1st Atlas rocket for International Space Station
• The 1st Enhanced Cygnus
• The 9th Atlas 5 launch of 2015
  

Цитировать2250 GMT (5:50 p.m. EST)
DELAY. Liftoff continues to hold on the cloudy and rainy weather. The target launch time has shifted to the next opportunity at 6:10:45 p.m. EST.

2248 GMT (5:48 p.m. EST)
The hold has been extended again. No technical issues with the Atlas vehicle, but weather still miserable.

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
А я не понял: почему одномоторный Центавр?

Цитировать2255 GMT (5:55 p.m. EST)
 DELAY. Liftoff has been targeted for the end of today's launch window at 6:25:45 p.m. EST.

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:

А кто знает, что это дожигается у Атласа??

   

Цитировать2311 GMT (6:11 p.m. EST)
 SCRUB. Foul weather at Cape Canaveral courtesy of a passing cool front bringing disturbed conditions and thick clouds across Central Florida has forced managers to call off today's launch attempt for the Atlas 5 rocket with the commercial Cygnus cargo freighter bound for the International Space Station.
It is the first time since 2012 that an Atlas 5 launch has been postponed after fueling had occurred. The vehicle was on a run of 26 consecutive missions to fuel-and-launch on the first attempt.
The weather deteriorated throughout the countdown today, falling from a 60 percent chance of good weather to just 30 percent and then 10 percent. The front draped over the Cape violated the launch rules throughout the final phases of the count and 30-minute launch window.
Liftoff is reset for Friday during a 30-minute launch window opening at 5:33:11 p.m. EST (2233:11 GMT). However, similar weather is forecast, with a 70 percent chance of conditions violating the launch rules.
If the launch does go tomorrow, rendezvous and berthing of the Cygnus cargo freighter at the International Space Station would happen on Monday morning.
There are three suitable days remaining to launch this week that would lead to favorable rendezvous opportunities before the International Space Station's traffic pattern gets complicated:
December 4
 Launch: 5:33 p.m. EST
December 5
 Launch: 5:10 p.m. EST
December 6
 Launch: 4:44 p.m. EST

ЦитироватьSalo пишет:

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
А кто знает, что это дожигается у Атласа??

Видимо водород с Центавра.

ЦитироватьНЬЮ-ЙОРК, 4 декабря. /Корр. ТАСС Иван Пильщиков/. Запуск американской ракеты-носителя Atlas V с грузовым кораблем Cygnus с космодрома на мысе Канаверал (штат Флорида) к Международной космической станции (МКС) отложен примерно на сутки из-за неподходящих погодных условий. Об этом сообщили представители Национального управления США по аэронавтике и исследованию космического пространства (NASA).

По их словам, облака над космодромом слишком густые, а ветер очень сильный. На Cygnus находятся более 3,3 тонны научных приборов, оборудования, воды и продовольствия для экипажа орбитального комплекса.

Новая попытка запустить корабль состоится в пятницу в 17:33 по местному времени (в субботу 01:33 мск). Специалисты NASA оценили вероятность того, что погода будет благоприятствовать старту, лишь в 30%. В случае, если запуск Cygnus все же состоится, его прибытие к МКС и стыковка с орбитальным комплексом произойдут в понедельник, 7 декабря.

Ранее ожидалось, что космический грузовик должен состыковаться со станцией в воскресенье, 6 декабря. Эту задачу планировалось поручить американским астронавтам Скотту Келли и Челлу Линдгрену, несущим вахту в составе экипажа орбитального комплекса. Для захвата Cygnus и его навигации к шлюзовому отсеку будет использован автоматический манипулятор Canadarm2. В случае успеха Cygnus станет первым грузовым кораблем, пришвартовавшимся к соединительному модулю "Юнити", обращенному к Земле", отметили в космическом ведомстве США.

Спойлер

Предыдущий полет Cygnus производства компании Orbital Sciences завершился катастрофой. Во время старта с космодрома на острове Уоллопс в штате Вирджиния у атлантического побережья США в октябре 2014 года взорвалась ракета-носитель "Антарес". Корабль и 2 тонны грузов, предназначавшихся для экипажа МКС, были уничтожены. Запуски "Сигнуса" было решено приостановить. На пятницу (суббота по мск) запланирован первый полет этого корабля к МКС с момента аварии.

Специалисты Orbital Sciences заключили, что причиной катастрофы в прошлом году стали неполадки с одним из двух двигателей первой ступени. Поэтому компания сочла целесообразным оснастить ракету другой двигательной установкой.

В состав нынешней экспедиции на МКС входят россияне Олег Кононенко, Сергей Волков и Михаил Корниенко, американцы Скотт Келли и Челл Линдгрен, а также японец Кимия Юи.

[свернуть]

Цитировать2232 GMT (5:32 p.m. EST)
 DELAY. The target launch time has shifted to the opportunity at 5:48:12 p.m. EST.  
 
2230 GMT (5:30 p.m. EST)
 HOLD at T-minus 3 minutes, 9 seconds.
 
2229 GMT (5:29 p.m. EST)
 T-minus 3 minutes, 50 seconds. The ground pyrotechnics have been enabled.
 
2229:12 GMT (5:29:12 p.m. EST)
 T-minus 4 minutes and counting. Clocks have resumed for the final minutes of today's countdown to launch the Atlas 5 rocket carrying Cygnus resupply ship for the space station.
 
2228:12 GMT (5:28:12 p.m. EST)
 Countdown clocks will resume in one minute.
 
2227 GMT (5:27 p.m. EST)
 The ULA launch director has given the permission to fly today.
 
2227 GMT (5:27 p.m. EST)
 Polling of the team by Atlas launch conductor has occurred. All systems -- and weather -- are reported "go" to continue with the countdown for liftoff at 5:33 p.m. EST.
 
2224 GMT (5:24 p.m. EST)
 Standing by for the launch team readiness polls.
A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive countdown updates, sign up for our Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/spaceflightnow/) to get text messages on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

 
2222 GMT (5:22 p.m. EST)
 The Atlas 5 rocket stands 194 feet tall and weighs nearly 740,000 pounds at launch.
 
2220 GMT (5:20 p.m. EST)
 No problems being reported by the launch team. Countdown continues to sit in the hold period at T-minus 4 minutes, waiting for the launch window to open at 5:33:12 p.m. EST.
 
2217 GMT (5:17 p.m. EST)
 Cygnus is on internal power and ready for launch.
 
2212 GMT (5:12 p.m. EST)
 The Cygnus freighter nestled inside the nose of the Atlas 5 rocket is switching to internal power for launch.
2210 GMT (5:10 p.m. EST)
 Here's a look at some stats about today's mission. This will be:

[/li]
• The 642nd launch for Atlas program since 1957
• The 347th Atlas launch from Cape Canaveral
• The 231st mission of a Centaur upper stage
• The 208th use of Centaur by an Atlas rocket
• The 464th production RL10 engine to be launched
• The 9th RL10C-1 engine launched
• The 66th flight of the RD-180 main engine
• The 60th launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
• The 13th commercial mission for an Atlas 5
• The 90th Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle flight
• The 103rd United Launch Alliance flight overall
• The 52nd Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
• The 40th 400-series flight of the Atlas 5
• The 30th Atlas 5 to fly in the 401 configuration
• The 5th Cygnus spacecraft to launch
• The 4th Orbital ATK Commercial Resupply Services mission
• The 11th Combined launch under CRS program for NASA
• The 1st Cygnus on an Atlas rocket
• The 1st Atlas rocket for International Space Station
• The 1st Enhanced Cygnus
• The 9th Atlas 5 launch of 2015
  

ЦитироватьАнатолий Ревзин пишет:
почему отсчет остановили

Цитировать2235 GMT (5:35 p.m. EST)
The available launch opportunities today:

* 5:48:12 p.m. EST
* 5:55:42 p.m. EST
* 6:03:12 p.m. EST

ЦитироватьАнатолий Ревзин пишет:

почему отсчет остановили

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185623.jpg) Tory Bruno ‏@torybruno  (https://twitter.com/torybruno)  8 мин.8 минут назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/672906082835017728)
Wind excursion. Hold. Recycling

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185623.jpg) Tory Bruno Подлинная учетная запись ‏@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno)
  (https://twitter.com/torybruno)
All go

 14:42 - 4 дек. 2015 г.

ЦитироватьJeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust  (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust)   25 секунд назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/672909908417896448)  
6:03:12 pm new T-0. End of the launch window. #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)

Цитировать2246 GMT (5:46 p.m. EST)
 DELAY. Liftoff has been targeted for the end of today's launch window at 6:03:12 p.m. EST.
 
2245 GMT (5:45 p.m. EST)
 The ground winds limit was tripped, NASA commentator Mike Curie says.
 
2244 GMT (5:44 p.m. EST)
 HOLD!

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Ничего не понимаю: разве попадание в плоскость МКС не предполагает узкое окно?

Цитировать2257 GMT (5:57 p.m. EST)
Team readiness poll re-conducted and all console operators are set to proceed. This will be the final attempt of the night.

ЦитироватьTory Bruno ‏@torybruno  (https://twitter.com/torybruno)  38 сек38 секунд назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/672913202812993536)  
Abort. Winds
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185623.jpg) Tory Bruno ‏@torybruno  (https://twitter.com/torybruno)  47 сек47 секунд назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/672913165315895296)  
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185623.jpg) Tory Bruno ‏@torybruno  (https://twitter.com/torybruno)  1 мин1 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/672913085401800704)  
Wind in and out of limits. Everybody hold ur breath

ЦитироватьJeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust 10 сек10 секунд назад
Vern Thorp, ULA: vehicle is fine, ground winds did not cooperate.

Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust 1 мин1 минуту назад
Waiting to see if they'll recycle for tomorrow or later. Weather tomorrow only 30% go.

Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust 2 мин2 минуты назад
Took only one second after picking up the count to trigger the hold.

Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust 3 мин3 минуты назад
HOLD and scrub.

Цитировать2303 GMT (6:03 p.m. EST)
 "It was a gallient effort," launch director Bill Cullen says. "Try again tomorrow."
Weather is 30 percent favorable, with ground winds and clouds the issues.
 
2300 GMT (6:00 p.m. EST)
 The launch team is going through safing procedures.
 
2259 GMT (5:59 p.m. EST)
 HOLD and SCRUB. Ground winds went out of limits and the launch window now closed.
 
2259:12 GMT (5:59:12 p.m. EST)
 T-minus 4 minutes and counting. Clocks have resumed for the final minutes of today's countdown to launch the Atlas 5 rocket carrying Cygnus resupply ship for the space station.
 
2258:12 GMT (5:58:12 p.m. EST)
 Countdown clocks will resume in one minute.
2257 GMT (5:57 p.m. EST)

ЦитироватьАнтон пишет:
Мне интересно, а баллистические ракеты они тоже при ветре не запускают?

ЦитироватьАнатолий Ревзин пишет:
Это сколько же попкорна можно съесть за 50 минут?????

Цитировать2303 GMT (6:03 p.m. EST)
 "It was a gallant effort," launch director Bill Cullen says. "Try again tomorrow."
Launch will be possible beginning at the opening of a 30-minute window at 5:10:38 p.m. EST.
Weather is 30 percent favorable, with ground winds and clouds the issues.

ЦитироватьJ.G. пишет:
"...Но, не дай господь, подует
   Легкий ветерок,-
   И уже не пустят в космос
 Деточку-челнок...."  :)

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
"Лошадь хорошая !! Ветер виноват.."

ЦитироватьDate: December 6, 2015 - 4:44 p.m. Eastern

Mission: Fourth Orbital ATK Commercial Resupply Services Flight to International Space Station (Orbital CRS-4) (http://www.nasa.gov/orbital)
Description: The mission will be the first flight of the enhanced variant of Orbital ATK's Cygnus advanced maneuvering spacecraft, capable of delivering more than 7,700 pounds of essential crew supplies, equipment and scientific experiments to the station. The Atlas V launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is targeted during a 10-minute window.

ЦитироватьBizonich пишет:
Опять перенос почти на сутки.  :cry:

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
В понедельник утром филином работать ((((

ЦитироватьДмитрий Инфан пишет:
Не горюйте, может, ещё пару раз перенесут.

ЦитироватьIva пишет:
 Подскажите, какая критичная скорость ветра при пуске?
Сильно ли этот показатель разнится от типа носителя?

ЦитироватьLaunch commit criteria for Atlas V (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_V) launches are similar to those used for the Atlas V launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory) Some can be overridden if additional requirements[which? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words)] are met.[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_commit_criteria#cite_note-2)

[/li]
• wind at the launch pad exceeds 61 kilometres per hour; 38 miles per hour (33 kn)
• ceiling less than 1,800 metres (6,000 ft) or visibility less than 6.4 kilometres (4 mi)
• upper-level conditions containing wind shear that could lead to control problems for the launch vehicle.
• cloud layer greater than 1,400 metres (4,500 ft) thick that extends into freezing temperatures
• cumulus clouds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulus_clouds) with tops that extend into freezing temperatures within 5 to 10 miles (8.0 to 16.1 km)
• 19 kilometres (10 nmi) of the edge of a thunderstorm that is producing lightning for 30 minutes after the last lightning is observed.
• field mill (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_mill) instrument readings within 9.3 kilometres (5 nmi) of the launch pad or the flight path exceed +/- 1,500 volts per meter for 15 minutes after they occur
• thunderstorm anvil is within 19 kilometres (10 nmi) of the flight path
• thunderstorm debris cloud is within 5.6 kilometres (3 nmi) or fly through a debris cloud for three hours
• Do not launch through disturbed weather that has clouds that extend into freezing temperatures and contain moderate or greater[clarification needed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)] precipitation, or launch within 9.3 kilometres (5 nmi) of disturbed weather adjacent to the flight path
• Do not launch through cumulus clouds formed as the result of or directly attached to a smoke[clarification needed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)] plume
  

ЦитироватьApollo13 пишет:
На орионе будет европейский сервисный модуль с обычными батареями как у ATV

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
орлы летают..

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
У меня трансляция на 40 секунд отстает ))

ЦитироватьАндрей Суворов пишет:

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
У меня трансляция на 40 секунд отстает ))

у меня больше, чем на минуту, а вы где смотрите?

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
Выхлоп ТНА??

Цитироватьuncle_jew пишет:
А почему "Центавр" периодически чуть-чуть меняет ориентацию? При запуске межпланетных зондов такого, вроде, не было.

И что за трубка рядом с соплом, через которую периодически выходит какой-то пар?

Цитироватьdel

ЦитироватьSvip (Сергей Пиденко) пишет:
Неужели ура?

Цитировать2210 GMT (5:10 p.m. EST)
 This was the 131st successful Atlas program launch in a row spanning more than two decades and the 60th for an Atlas 5.
 
2208 GMT (5:08 p.m. EST)
 It was a "magnificent ride to orbit", says said Frank Culbertson, former space shuttle and station astronaut and now Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group president.
 
2206 GMT (5:06 p.m. EST)
 T+plus 21 minutes, 5 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The Centaur upper stage has deployed the Orbital ATK's commercial Cygnus resupply ship destined to deliver over 7,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station some 60 hours from now.

ЦитироватьSalo пишет:
http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/02/av061journal/

Цитировать...
2206 GMT (5:06 p.m. EST)
 T+plus 21 minutes, 5 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The Centaur upper stage has deployed the Orbital ATK's commercial Cygnus resupply ship destined to deliver over 7,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station some 60 hours from now.

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
Интересно, кто ловить будет?? Скотт или Челл??

Цитироватьsilentpom пишет:
получается, что лебедь тащит сильно больше дракона? прикольно.

Цитироватьpnetmon пишет:

Цитироватьsilentpom пишет:
получается, что лебедь тащит сильно больше дракона? прикольно.

В русскоязычное вики вносил данные по ПН в каждом запуске. Дракон проигрывал в гонке кто больше за запуск. Но у Дракона плюс - негерметичный отсек, возвращаемая капсула...

ЦитироватьA United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the OA-4 mission lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41. The mission, flown for Orbital ATK under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract, marks the first time the Cygnus has flown on an Atlas V rocket. This was ULA's 12th launch in 2015. At just over 8 tons, Cygnus is the heaviest payload to launch atop an Atlas V rocket.

ЦитироватьАнтон пишет:
Атлас 5 же, чего за него волноваться.

ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:

Цитироватьhttp://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/02/av061journal/

ЦитироватьThe Centaur upper stage has deployed the Orbital ATK's commercial Cygnus resupply ship destined to deliver over 7,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station some 60 hours from now.

Получается в среду в час дня ДМВ.

Цитировать4:30 a.m., Wednesday, December 9 - Coverage of the Rendezvous and Grapple of the Orbital Sciences/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Cargo Craft at the ISS (Grapple scheduled at 6:10 a.m. ET) (Starts at 6:45 a.m.) (all channels)
8 a.m., Wednesday, December 9 - Coverage of the Installation of the Orbital Sciences/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Cargo Craft to the Unity Module of the ISS (all channels)

ЦитироватьНЬЮ-ЙОРК, 9 декабря. /Корр. ТАСС Кирилл Волков/. Американский грузовой космический корабль Cygnus успешно пристыковался к Международной космической станции (МКС). Об этом сообщили в Национальном управлении по аэронавтике и исследованию космического пространства США (NASA).

Корабль был запущен к МКС в воскресенье с космодрома на мысе Канаверал в штате Флорида с помощью ракеты-носителя Atlas V. На борту Cygnus находятся более 3,3 тонн научных приборов, оборудования, воды, продовольствия, а также новогодние подарки для экипажа орбитального комплекса.

Корабль был успешно захвачен автоматическим манипулятором Canadarm 2, который пристыковал его к шлюзовому отсеку. Cygnus стал первым грузовым кораблем, пришвартовавшимся к соединительному модулю Unity, обращенному к Земле, отметили в космическом ведомстве.

Цитироватьche wi пишет:


 https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly/status/674595713213440000

ЦитироватьК.А. пишет:
Спасибо за информацию.

ЦитироватьВиктор Левашов пишет:
у японского грузовика тоже люк большой?

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Какой стыковочный узел такой и люк.

Цитировать"Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module Completes Proof-Pressure Testing". Orbital Sciences. August 2010. The PCM hatch has a strong resemblance to the current hatches used on the US-segment of the ISS. However, at 37 inches on each side, it is somewhat smaller than the 50 inch ISS hatch.

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Какой стыковочный узел такой и люк.

Цитироватьpnetmon пишет:
The PCM hatch has a strong resemblance to the current hatches used on the US-segment of the ISS.

Цитироватьpnetmon пишет:

ЦитироватьВиктор Левашов пишет:
у японского грузовика тоже люк большой?

а вот он
 http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/messages/forum10/topic14853/message1408745/#message1408745
 http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/messages/forum10/topic14853/message1420293/#message1420293
 Скрытый текст

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Какой стыковочный узел такой и люк.

ЦитироватьPirat5 пишет:
Обычный Cygnus доставлял 2 тонны грузов.
 enhanced Cygnus - написано 2,7т ссылка (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/cygnus-pcm-e.htm) этот АО-4 везёт 3,5т (или 3,2 или 3,3т - где как пишут) каким образом в габарит enhanced Cygnus влезло больше груза? У него негерметичной секции вроде бы нету...

Цитировать7 a.m., Friday, February 19 - Coverage of the Release of the Orbital/ATK Cygnus CRS-4 Cargo Craft from the ISS (Release is scheduled at 7:25 a.m. ET) (all channels)

ЦитироватьГрузовик Cygnus покинул МКС
15:45 19.02.2016 (обновлено: 15:46 19.02.2016)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/101475.jpg)
© AP Photo/ Scott Kelly

ВАШИНГТОН, 19 фев – РИА Новости. Экипаж МКС совершил отстыковку американского космического грузовика Cygnus, аппарат сгорит при входе в атмосферу после 2 месячного пребывания на станции, сообщило НАСА в пятницу.
Грузовик, принадлежащий компании Orbital ATK, прибыл на МКС в начале декабря с грузом для жизни и работы международного экипажа. На протяжении двух месяцев аппарат оставался у американского модуля "Юнити" (Единство, Unity).
Командир экипажа Скотт Келли и борт-инженер Тим Копра отстыковали грузовик от МКС в расчетные 15:25 мск. После того, как аппарат отойдет на безопасное расстояние от станции, его двигатели будут запущены для схода с орбиты. Предполагается, что он сгорит при входе в атмосферу над Тихим океаном в субботу.

ЦитироватьOrbital ATK ‏@OrbitalATK  (https://twitter.com/OrbitalATK) 7m ago (https://twitter.com/OrbitalATK/status/701100449634582530)

At ~11 am ET today, the S.S. Deke Slayton II #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) reentered Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific, marking a successful end of mission.