Cygnus OA-8 (CRS-8 ) - Antares-230 - MARS LP-0A - 12.11.1017 12:19 UTC

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http://nanoracks.com/launch-of-full-external-cygnus-deployer/

NanoRacks Launches Full External Cygnus Deployer, New Customers, and more to Space Station on OA-8
November 11, 2017 //

With the launch of the OA-8 mission, NanoRacks has now brought over 600 payloads to space, and introduced numerous new customers to the commercial ISS marketplace.



Wallops Island, VA, November 12, 2017 – Early this morning, the Orbital ATK CRS-8 (OA-8 ) launch carried another historic NanoRacks mission to the International Space Station (ISS). With a completely full NanoRacks External Cygnus Deployer (ENRCSD), a virtual reality camera, and educational research, this mission marks over 600 NanoRacks payloads delivered to the ISS since 2009.

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This mission is enabling a unique virtual reality opportunity with National Geographic's VUZE camera. Integrated and launched via NanoRacks, VUZE will allow for the recording of the new National Geographic series "One Strange Rock," in which the astronaut crew will record a series of virtual reality pieces for incorporation into a larger documentary about natural history and the solar system. This is National Geographic's first time launching with NanoRacks.

NanoRacks is also pleased to have launched the "Microbes in Space" educational experiment. Microbes in Space is one of two experiments launching to the ISS via a partnership with NanoRacks, DreamUp, and Xtronaut as a part of a Kickstarter campaign to build on-the-ground kits that will compare science at home and in the classroom to real science in space. The Kickstarter is now live, with kits beginning at just a $25 donation.

Additionally, OA-8 is the fourth mission in which NanoRacks is providing opportunities for CubeSat deployment from Cygnus after the vehicle departs from the station. The NanoRacks ENRCSD is installed on the exterior of the Cygnus service module with the capability to deploy satellites after Cygnus' completion of its primary ISS resupply mission.

On this ENRCSD mission, NanoRacks has 14 satellites ready to be deployed with customers including the NRO Office of Space Launch, Asgardia, Spire, Tyvak, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Included in this External Cygnus manifest are also The Aerospace Corporation's AeroCube B/C satellites, water-based propulsion CubeSats.

"OA-8 is yet another unique mission for NanoRacks," says Senior Mission Manager Henry Martin. "We're thrilled to have a full External Cygnus Deployer, displaying its maximum capability. This mission also brings new customers from outside the industry into space while continuing partnerships with existing customers like Spire for their ongoing satellite constellation. Notably, this mission will also deploy our first-ever propulsive satellite from the Cygnus spacecraft."

The ENRCSD satellites are scheduled to be deployed from the Cygnus vehicle early December at an altitude above the ISS orbit, pending all nominal spacecraft operations.

The External Cygnus Deployer includes in the following satellites:
 

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• ISARA
• PROPCUBE
• Lemur-2 (8 CubeSats)
• Aerocube B/C (2 CubeSats)
• Asgardia-1
• CHEFSat
  

ISARA and Aerocube B/C are funded through NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program (SSTP), which is chartered to develop and mature technologies to enhance and expand the capabilities of small spacecraft with a particular focus on communications, propulsion, pointing, power, and autonomous operations.

Also on board the OA-8 mission are two CubeSats that will be deployed via the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer onboard the ISS. The satellites, EcAMSat and TechEdSat-6 each come from NASA Ames Research Center.

EcAMSat is a biological CubeSat that will investigate the effects of microgravity on the antibiotic resistance of E. coli, a bacterial pathogen responsible for urinary tract infections. The EcAMSat flight opportunity is offered by NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) as part of the thirteenth installment of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission, and sponsored by the NASA Launch Services Program (LSP).

By the time the OA-8 External Cygnus mission is complete, NanoRacks will have deployed over 200 satellites into low-Earth orbit.

NanoRacks would like to thank Orbital ATK and the NASA International Space Station Program for their continued support of NanoRacks operations on the ISS.

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http://spaceflight101.com/cygnus-oa8/photos-antares-blasts-off-from-virginia-on-space-station-cargo-run/

Photos: Antares Blasts off from Virginia on Space Station Cargo Run
November 12, 2017

Orbital ATK successfully launched an Antares 230 rocket from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport located on NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Sunday, November 12, 2017. The second Antares 230 sporting new engines lifted off at 12:19:55 UTC and operated for nine minutes to send the eighth operational Cygnus cargo spacecraft – named in honor of the late Moonwalker Gene Cernan – into a Low Earth Orbit for a rendezvous with the International Space Station.

>> Read our Launch Recap

All Photos below: NASA

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All Photos below: Orbital ATK

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https://www.novorosinform.org/news/77351

Американцы нашли применение созданной на Украине ракете
Ракета Antares, созданная в Украине, в воскресенье взлетела с космодрома в США. Она доставит грузовик Cygnus с пиццей для астронавтов на Международную космическую станцию.
Украинская ракета взлетела со Среднеатлантического регионального космодрома на острове Уоллтс (штат Вирджиния, США) в 14:14 по Киеву. Выведенный на околоземную орбиту грузовик Cygnus, доставит на МКС около 3 тонн полезного груза, запасы пищи, научного оборудования, а также проведет утилизацию отходов.
Основная конструкция первой ступени Antares спроектирована украинским "КБ "Южное", изготовлена на "Южмаше".
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https://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/release.asp?prid=306

Orbital ATK Successfully Launches Eighth Cargo Delivery Mission to the International Space Station

Antares Rocket Boosts Approximately 7,400 Pounds, Its Heaviest Load to Date

Cygnus to Host Science Experiments While Docked With Station

Dulles, Virginia 12 November 2017 – Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, successfully launched its AntaresTM rocket carrying a CygnusTM spacecraft today at 7:19 a.m. EST, fr om NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. The launch is Orbital ATK's eighth cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station for NASA. During the mission, designated OA-8, Cygnus will deliver vital equipment, supplies and experiments to the astronauts aboard the space station, as well as conduct scientific experiments onboard Cygnus while docked with the orbiting laboratory.

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The Antares rocket launched the Cygnus spacecraft loaded with approximately 7,400 pounds (3,350 kilograms) of cargo to the crew of six who are aboard the space station. Following an approximate nine-minute ascent, the "S.S. Gene Cernan" Cygnus spacecraft, named in honor of the late astronaut and the last man to leave the moon, was successfully deployed into orbit. Orbital ATK's engineering team confirmed reliable communications have been established and the vehicle's solar arrays are fully deployed, providing the necessary electrical power to operate the spacecraft.

"While the Antares team celebrates a successful launch today, we're already well into building the vehicles for the next two missions," said Scott Lehr, President of Orbital ATK's Flight Systems Group. "We will be ready to launch again whenever Cygnus needs us."

Cygnus will be grappled at approximately 4:50 a.m. EST on November 14. The spacecraft will remain attached to the space station for approximately three weeks before departing with more than 4,000 pounds (approximately 2,000 kilograms) of disposable cargo. Cygnus' large-volume disposal capability, a critical service to NASA, is unique among America's commercial cargo providers.

"Today's successful launch of the OA-8 Cygnus on our Antares launch vehicle once again demonstrates the reliability of Orbital ATK's hardware along with our commitment to deliver critical cargo to astronauts on the International Space Station," said Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group. "Soon, Cygnus will rendezvous with the space station to deliver valuable scientific experiments, hardware and crew supplies to the orbiting platform. On this mission, Cygnus will again display its flexibility as an in-orbit science platform by supporting experiments to be performed inside the cargo module while attached to the space station. We are proud to dedicate this mission to Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan and his family and look forward to celebrating the OA-8 contributions to science in his name."

Upon arrival at the space station, the "S.S. Gene Cernan" Cygnus will be unloaded and used for the first time as an extension of the orbiting laboratory for an experiment featuring a SpaceTango facility. TangoLab is a reconfigurable general research facility designed for microgravity research and development. This exercise will highlight the ability to expand the station's capabilities for hosting experiments using the Cygnus module. During the three weeks Cygnus remains docked, the astronauts on the space station will perform the transfer of the lab to Cygnus and then back to the station wh ere it will remain. Once Cygnus is unberthed, a NanoRacks deployer will release 14 Cubesats, a record number for the spacecraft. Upon completion of its secondary missions, Cygnus will perform a safe, destructive reentry into Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

Under the CRS-1 contract with NASA, Orbital ATK will deliver approximately 66,000 pounds (30,000 kilograms) of cargo to the space station. Beginning in 2019, the company will carry out a minimum of six cargo missions under NASA's CRS-2 contract. This partnership is cultivating a robust American commercial space industry, freeing NASA to focus on developing the next-generation rocket and spacecraft that will enable humans to conduct deep space exploration missions.

The Antares rocket systems are manufactured and engineered by Orbital ATK's Flight Systems Group primarily in Chandler, Arizona, and Dulles, Virginia, with rocket integration taking place at NASA's Horizontal Integration Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia. The vehicle includes two RD-181 engines from Energomash, a core from Yuzhmash and a CASTOR® 30XL solid rocket motor second stage manufactured at Orbital ATK's facilities in Clearfield and Magna, Utah.

The Cygnus system consists of a common service module and pressurized cargo module. The service module was built and tested at Orbital ATK's manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia. Orbital ATK manufactures several other Cygnus components at three of the company's facilities in California: UltraFlexTM solar arrays in Goleta, composite structures in San Diego and propellant tanks in Commerce.

B-roll and animation footage for the mission can be found here: http://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/bmc/#. Please note that media will need to request a PIN for access.

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Solar Array Deployment - LIVE Orbital ATK Antares Rocket Cygnus OA-8 ISS Resupply Ship Launch

Julian Danzer

Опубликовано: 12 нояб. 2017 г.

(39:01)

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НОРАД идентифицировал объекты запуска
 

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https://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/feature-stories/oa8-mission-page/

Mission Update

Orbital ATK successfully launched its OA-8 mission aboard the company's Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on November 12, 2017 at 7:19 a.m. EST. Cygnus rendesvous is scheduled for early morning Tuesday, November 14, with grapple at approximately 4:50 a.m. EST. The spacecraft will deliver vital supplies and scientific equipment to the station as part of Orbital ATK's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA.

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http://engine.space/press/pressnews/1922/

Успешный пуск РН «Антарес»
С космодрома Уоллопс (США) стартовала ракета-носитель Antares с грузовым космическим кораблем Cygnus, который должен доставить на Международную космическую станцию более 3 тонн груза.
Успешный пуск обеспечил двигатель РД-181 разработки и производства АО «НПО Энергомаш».Контракт на поставку американской компании Orbital ATK двигателей РД-181 был заключен в декабре 2014 года.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/11/13/cygnus-races-to-station-as-crew-studies-life-science-and-space-crops/

Mark Garcia
Posted on November 13, 2017

Cygnus Races To Station as Crew Studies Life Science and Space Crops


The Cygnus resupply ship launches aboard the Antares rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

The Cygnus resupply ship from Orbital ATK is less than 24 hours away from a rendezvous and capture at the International Space Station. Meanwhile, the Expedition 53 crew members are conducting human research and exploring growing crops in space.

Cygnus is in Earth orbit today conducting a series of orbital maneuvers refining its path to the space station Tuesday morning. Astronauts Paolo Nespoli and Randy Bresnik will be in the cupola early tomorrow waiting to capture Cygnus with the Canadarm2 at 4:50 a.m. EST. NASA TV will broadcast the capture and installation of Cygnus to the Unity module beginning at 3:15 a.m.
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https://www.nasa.gov/spacetech/feature/CubeSat_Missions_Pushing_Boundaries_of_Technology

Nov. 13, 2017

NASA CubeSat Missions: Pushing the Boundaries of Technology

NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program is on the countdown clock to advance communications and proximity maneuvering capabilities for CubeSats with two separate technology demonstration missions.

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The Optical Communications and Sensor Demonstration (OCSD) mission will showcase the first-ever high-speed data downlink fr om a CubeSat to a ground station using lasers, in addition to maneuvering the pair of diminutive spacecraft to up-close proximity.


Credits: Nanoracks

Also set for demonstration is the Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna (ISARA) mission. A reflectarray is a relatively new type of antenna fabricated from standard printed circuit boards with an array of square copper patches etched on them.


ISARA's three antenna panels feature a printed circuit board pattern that narrowly focuses the CubeSat's radio transmission beam in much the same way a parabolic dish reflector does.
Credits: Nanoracks

These innovative satellites were carried onboard Orbital ATK's Cygnus advanced maneuvering spacecraft, a commercial resupply vehicle that will berth to the International Space Station (ISS). Atop the Orbital ATK's Antares booster, the Cygnus commercial resupply mission launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Nov.12.

Once the Cygnus craft has completed its ISS servicing mission, it will detach from the ISS and move to a higher orbit. From there, the OCSD and ISARA CubeSats will be deployed to begin their respective missions.

The Small Spacecraft Technology Program expands U.S. capability to execute unique missions through rapid development and in-space demonstration of capabilities for small spacecraft applicable to exploration, science, and the commer¬cial space sector. The program enables new mission architectures through the use of small spacecraft, with goals of expanding their reach to new destinations and challenging new environments.

Precision pointing
"Our primary mission for OCSD is demonstrating laser communications, by using a laser on the spacecraft to downlink data to our optical ground stations on Mt. Wilson in California. The laser communication data rates are orders of magnitude higher than what we can do in radio frequency," explains Richard Welle, one of the principal investigators for OCSD at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California, that manages the project.


The OCSD communication face of the satellite shows the major communication systems such as those of the laser transmitter and emitter, radio frequency antenna, and other sensors.
Credits: Nanoracks

"Laser communication offers data rates competitive with current high-end CubeSat communications systems, in a compact package, and with the potential to go to much higher rates yet," Welle notes. With each spacecraft carrying ultra-small star trackers, critical for precision pointing of the laser communications hardware, the laser is hard-mounted to the individual CubeSat body with the beam pointed by controlling the orientation of the entire spacecraft.

"Building a laser that would work in this environment meant solving a number of technical challenges," Welle advises. But having solved those challenges, he continues, the result was having a laser system much more compact than anything previously flown in space.

Applications for high data rate communications include providing download capability for data-intensive missions in low-Earth orbit such as those engaged in Earth imaging.

Close cousins
Following laser communication testing, another OCSD objective is proximity operations wh ere the two CubeSats will fly relatively close together in Earth orbit. To do so, the satellites use a combination of variable drag and bursts of propulsion from the spacecraft – using water exhausted as steam – to bring the two within 650 feet (200 meters) of one another.

Both CubeSats have miniature cameras, laser rangefinders, and are dotted by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to aide in a step-wise reduction of distance between them, Welle explains. "The plan is to essentially have one of the satellites orbit the other at smaller and smaller distances," Welle adds.

Each OCSD CubeSat is about 4 inches x 4 inches x 6.7 inches (10 centimeters x 10 centimeters x 17 centimeters) and weighs approximately 5 pounds (2.5 kilograms).

As for the benefit of CubeSats, Welle is confident on what's already been learned in the OCSD project. "The technology development aspect of this mission is proving worthwhile for follow-on missions. Also, the commercial sector is very interested in the technologies that come out of this work," he concludes.

Capabilities in proximity operations will enable multiple small spacecraft to operate cooperatively during science or exploration missions, to approach another spacecraft or object for in-space observation or servicing, or to connect small spacecraft together to form larger systems or networks in space.

Data-downlink
The technology benefit of the ISARA mission is to enhance CubeSats with a blend of antenna and solar cells, to allow for higher data-downlink communications. ISARA will use radio frequency Ka-band – the first time Ka-band uses a reflectarray antenna– that will surpass the existing baseline CubeSat transmission rate of 9.6 kilobits per second to more than 100 megabits per second.

"We have a lot of mission firsts with ISARA," says Richard Hodges, principal investigator of this CubeSat mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. As a devoted "antenna guy" with decades of experience, he sees a bright future for the integrated solar array and reflectarray antenna that was perfected by JPL technologists.

"This is a flat antenna style, effectively replacing an antenna such as the curved surface parabolic style. Thanks to a photolithographic etching process, the reflectarray is relatively inexpensive to produce and they are lightweight. Furthermore, this type of antenna makes very efficient use of CubeSat volume. And that means lots of added room for payloads, such as science instruments or imaging systems," Hodges observes.

To the best of his knowledge, ISARA will be the first in-space demonstration of a reflectarray antenna as well as that of an integrated antenna and solar array. "As far as we know, no reflectarray has ever flown in space. It has been discussed over the years, but now we're going to demonstrate it does work in the space environment," says Hodges.

Sweet spot sendoff
Distinct from a parabolic dish antenna, the flat reflectarray panels are folded down flush against the CubeSat. Once the three antenna panels are deployed – electrically tied together through hinges – they narrowly focus the CubeSat's radio transmission beam to a "sweet spot" in much the same way a parabolic dish reflector would, Hodges explains. "ISARA's solar array and reflectarray antenna is a very attractive package that enables high-speed data rates of more than 100 megabits per second. That's our primary goal for this mission."

Signals from the reflectarray antenna are to be transmitted to a ground station located at NASA's JPL. Experts there will reconstruct the antenna signal pattern, contrasting that pattern against pre-launch ground tests to appraise overall quality of ISARA's downlink transmission over months of mission duration.

The ISARA mission is being carried out in partnership with The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace). Aerospace built the CubeSat and also supports a ground station network that's spread out across the United States that can be used to support the CubeSat demonstration flight.

Stowage efficiency
Hodges highlights other ISARA flight firsts, including antenna gain measurement actually done in space. "There's quite a significant list of technology advancements, like use of off-the-shelf camera sensors for weather and environmental monitoring," he says.

Indeed, due to efficiencies in the ISARA design that provide extra stowage volume, along with spacecraft power provided by ISARA technology, a secondary payload known as the CubeSat Multispectral Observation System (CUMULOS) is onboard - an experimental remote sensing payload from Aerospace.

"We're very excited about what ISARA can enable, both in science data transmitted down from Earth orbit, and for deep space exploration missions too," Hodges forecasts.

Infusion into the future
The path forward for CubeSats is underscored by Elwood Agasid, deputy program manager of the Small Spacecraft Technology Program at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.

"These two missions are pushing technology forward, for infusion in future missions. Getting data down to the ground from space is always essential. Laser communication and improvements in CubeSat radio frequency communication will be key components of that future. Similarly, flying smallsat constellations are important as well," says Agasid, as is new antenna technology.

ISARA and OCSD reflect how essential small satellites have become. "The short period of development time, the frequency of flight opportunities, and the ability to fly hardware in space to see how it performs in a relevant environment – these small satellites give us a low-cost avenue for in-space validation, verification and improvement of technology in an incremental fashion," Agasid concludes.

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Last Updated: Nov. 13, 2017
Editor: Loura Hall

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 17 мин. назад

ARTICLE: OA-8 Cygnus closing in on the ISS for berthing - https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/oa-8-cygnus-iss-berthing/ ... (@kogavfx L2 Render of OA-8 Cygnus approaching the ISS)

OA-8 Cygnus closing in on the ISS for berthing

November 13, 2017 by Chris Gebhardt, William Graham and Chris Bergin

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Orbital ATK‏Подлинная учетная запись @OrbitalATK 2 ч. назад

S.S. Gene Cernan #Cygnus continues to operate nominally as it makes its way to @Space_Station. Live coverage of rendezvous & berthing begins at 3:15 am EST

11:15 ДМВ

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ISS Updates‏ @ISS101 2 мин назад

#Cygnus is 1.5 Kilometers from the Space Station, having just completed its Approach Initiation burn that transitions the craft to a point directly below ISS

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Orbital ATK‏Подлинная учетная запись @OrbitalATK 3 мин назад

The S.S. Gene Cernan #Cygnus is now 500m behind @Space_Station and 1km below. Tune in to NASA TV now to watch coverage live http://nasa.gov/live #OA8

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11/14/2017 11:26

Two days after blasting off from Virginia's Eastern Shore, Orbital ATK's Cygnus supply ship is nearing its destination Tuesday. The automated spacecraft packed with 3.7 tons of supplies and experiments is scheduled for capture by the International Space Station's robotic arm at 4:50 a.m. EST (0950 GMT).

European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli will be at the controls of the Canadian-built robotic arm during today's capture.

The Cygnus spaceship is closing in on the space station from below, currently at a range of about 1,853 feet, or 565 meters.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 7 мин. назад

Cygnus still expected to arrive at the ISS three minutes after the Delta II launches. Tally Ho (tiny dot).

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 49 сек. назад

No longer just a dot. Now you can clearly see Cygnus.