Orbital Cygnus

[Salo]

SFN: Atlantis prepares for undocking – TriDAR tests continue with flyaround[/size]

[Salo]

http://twitter.com/#/jeff_foust/status/94077263011778561

@jeff_foust Jeff Foust
Frank Culberson, Orbital: now planning Taurus 2 test firing on pad in November, demo launch late December, COTS flight next February.

[LG]

http://twitter.com/#/jeff_foust/status/94077263011778561

@jeff_foust Jeff Foust
Frank Culberson, Orbital: now planning Taurus 2 test firing on pad in November, demo launch late December, COTS flight next February.

Все как у нормальных людей. Сдвиги вправо - значит работа идет. ИМХО Demo полетит в 2012

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/launch/110722-taurus-debut-delayed.html

PARIS — The inaugural flight of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Taurus 2 rocket will be delayed by about two months, to December, to allow time for the completion and certification of rocket propellant and pressurization facilities at the vehicle's Wallops Island, Va., launch site, Orbital Chief Executive David W. Thompson said July 21.

Dulles, Va.-based Orbital still intends to demonstrate its space station cargo vehicle on the second Taurus 2 flight about two months after the first successful liftoff, meaning that mission, in which the Cygnus capsule will approach the international space station, will be delayed to February, Thompson said. [/size]

[Salo]

http://www.orbital.com/TaurusII/

Updated Taurus II & COTS/CRS Development & Flight Milestones
July 2011
Orbital has released an updated milestones chart to the reflect the most current projections for the integration, testing and operations of its Taurus II and Cygnus spacecraft for the COTS and CRS programs.



http://www.orbital.com/TaurusII/files/July-Milestone2011.pdf[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.canada.com/NEWS/Neptec+TriDAR+technology+take+Orbital+Cygnus+Spacecraft/5145328/story.html

Neptec's TriDAR technology to take off on Orbital's Cygnus Spacecraft[/size]
 
BusinessWire OTTAWA, Ontario

Neptec Design Group, a leader in space, defence and industrial systems and applications, today announced it will provide its TriDAR rendezvous and docking sensors to Orbital Space Science Corp.'s Cygnus Spacecraft capsule, which will be used on the Cargo Resupply Services Program to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). Fresh off three successful test missions with the Space Shuttle, including the historic final flight STS-135, this partnership will see Neptec supply Orbital with 13 TriDAR systems to support Orbital's initial round of resupply flights for the ISS.

"We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting next step of space exploration," said Mike Kearns, Neptec VP for Space Exploration. "With our operations on STS-135 wrapping up, we are proud to say TriDAR exceeded our expectations on its three separate shuttle flights and we are pleased to announce today that the system will be an integral part of the ISS fleet of resupply vehicles."

The TriDAR vision system has been in development for almost 10 years, benefitting from assistance from both the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. A combination of high-precision, near-field triangulation with a long-range Time-of-Flight (LiDAR) system, it provides automated, real-time visual guidance for navigation, rendezvous and docking procedures.

"The TriDAR program is a textbook example of what can be done when government and the private sector work together," said Neptec president and CEO Iain Christie. "This week is bittersweet for all of us involved with the space program as we wrap up the Shuttle era, which has been a central part of our lives. But this announcement shows we are taking our knowledge and experience from that program and continuing to make important contributions to the Space Station and beyond."

About TriDAR

The TriDAR vision system provides real-time visual guidance for navigation, rendezvous and docking procedures. Its inaugural voyage into space was in August 2009 when mounted in the cargo bay of the STS-128 mission. Developed by Neptec with the support of NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, TriDAR has applications beyond rendezvous and docking. With short and long-range sensing capabilities, the system is being developed as a navigation system for lunar rovers, vehicle inspection, and will enable helicopter pilots to land in inhospitable and obscured environments.

About Neptec

Specializing in advanced space, defence and industrial systems and applications, Neptec maintains a reputation of quality and reliability in the design, manufacturing, installation and support of its sensor systems with the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and other major space programs. With new solutions for aerospace, defence and industry, Neptec, a CSA/NASA prime contractor, continues to be a pioneer in the innovative use of mission critical systems and applications. In February, Neptec was awarded the George M. Low prize, NASA's premier honour for quality and performance, marking the first time a non-U.S. company received the award.

www.neptec.com .

About Orbital

Orbital develops and manufactures small- and medium-class rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary exploration spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also provides satellite subsystems and space-related technical services to U.S. Government agencies and laboratories.

www.orbital.com . [/size]

[Salo]

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/asd/2011/07/29/12.xml&headline=Next%20ISS%20Crew%20Prepares%20For%20Commercial%20Freighters

Next ISS Crew Prepares For Commercial Freighters[/size]

Jul 29, 2011
 
By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL — The first International Space Station crew in the post-shuttle era had an additional stop in its training flow — Space Exploration Technologies' Hawthorne, Calif., facility for familiarization with the company's Dragon cargo freighter.

Two-time shuttle veteran Dan Burbank, 50, and rookie cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, 39, and Anatoly Ivanishin, 42, are due to launch on Sept. 22 onboard a Russian Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will join the Expedition 29 crew of NASA astronaut Michael Fossum, 53, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, 47, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov, 38.

The first of NASA's new commercial cargo ships is expected to make a trial run to the station in December. A successful docking of the Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Dragon capsule would clear the way for the company to begin working on its 12-flight, $1.6 billion station cargo resupply missions for NASA in 2012.

Burbank says the crew also received training to handle berthing with NASA's second cargo resupplier, Orbital Sciences Corp., which expects to debut its Cygnus capsule with a docking at the space station in early 2012, possibly before Burbank and his crewmates return to Earth in mid-March. Orbital Sciences holds a second NASA cargo resupply contract worth $1.9 billion for eight Cygnus flights.

"We've got some visiting vehicles that we're hoping for and looking forward to seeing while we're onboard [the] space station, one of which at least — hopefully more — will be the first of the commercial resupply ships," Burbank told reporters July 27.

Both ships will be berthed to the station's Harmony node with the station's robotic arm, a maneuver that is very similar to the docking of Japan's HTV capsules.

"Our operations as far as monitoring the rendezvous, monitoring the vehicles as they come up the R-bar, toward the space station's nadir, or Earth-facing side, and then how we track and capture them ultimately with the space station robotic arm and then mate them to Node 2 — those are essentially the same," Burbank says.

Burbank, who will take over command of the station from Fossum in December, and his crewmates also will be onboard during a major upgrade of the station's avionics software, intended to increase the communications bandwidth as the station shifts into full-time research operations. "Now that assembly is complete, it's time to actually get our return on the investment," Burbank says.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/08/19/cygnus-freighter-to-arrive-at-wallops-on-wednesday/

Cygnus Freighter to Arrive at Wallops on Wednesday[/size]
Posted by Doug Messier
on August 19, 2011, at 1:26 pm
in COTS, Cygnus, NASA, News and Orbital Sciences Corporation

NASA PR — WASHINGTON – NASA's partnership with industry to develop transportation to the International Space Station reaches another milestone on Wednesday, Aug. 24. The cargo module for Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus spacecraft, which will carry supplies to the station, is scheduled to arrive at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 4 p.m. EDT.

During the next several months, Orbital's engineering team will integrate the PCM with the Cygnus service module that includes the spacecraft's avionics, propulsion and power systems.

The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled for a demonstration flight early next year on an Orbital Taurus II launch vehicle under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services agreement with the company. Cygnus will launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's pad 0A at Wallops.[/size]

[ronatu]

Напомню вид конечного продукта



http://www.parabolicarc.com/tag/cygnus/

[SpaceR]

А что там японского?

[Alex_II]

А что там японского?

Может форма консервной банки как у HTV?

[Потусторонний]

А что там японского?

Может форма консервной банки как у HTV?

http://www.orbital.com/cargoresupplyservices/

The HTV and Cygnus share several systems in common including the Space Integrated GPS/INS (SIGI), Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system, and the Proximity Link System (PLS).  These systems provided vital guidance and navigation information to the spacecraft.   They worked well during the HTV Flight and their performance reduces program risk for Cygnus.  We congratulate Japan for its success in its first HTV flight!

[Петр Зайцев]

А что там японского?

Я как-то разбирался и даже постил на форуме, но уже почти все позабыл. Кроме радиолинка и прочей электроники, есть какой-то японский ЖРД. Я уже забыл и тягу и компоненты :-)

Про Proximity Warning System от Mitsubishi Electric написано прямо в брошюре, про двигатель - нет.

[Salo]

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/580727main_4%20-%20Lindenmoyer%20COTS%20Status_508.pdf

[Salo]

http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=468244366

August 24, 2011

Thales Alenia Space... Cygnus Container Crafted + Shipped (Spacecraft)[/size]


Artist rendering of Cygnus spacecraft,
courtesy of Orbital Sciences...
[SatNews] One of the most important inclusions for Cygnus has now shipped...

Thales Alenia Space has shipped its first Pressurized Cargo Module, designed to transport cargo to the International Space Station, to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The PCM, developed on behalf of Cygnus prime contractor Orbital Sciences Corporation, was carried by an Antonov An-24 cargo plane. At Wallops, Orbital will integrate the PCM with the Service Module (including the avionics, propulsion subsystem and power supply) to produce the complete Cygnus spacecraft. This vehicle will fly a demonstration mission in early 2012, using Orbital's Taurus II launcher, under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement.

Following the demonstration flight, within the scope of the CRS (Commercial Resupply Service) contract signed by Orbital and NASA, Thales Alenia Space will provide Orbital with eight more pressurized modules for cargo missions to the International Space Station, including crew supplies, spare parts and scientific experiments. The first PCM will be followed by three more units in "standard" configuration, capable of transporting up to 2,000 kg of cargo each, along with five "enhanced" configuration units, boosting payload capacity to 2,700 kg.

The Cygnus™ spacecraft comprises a Service Module (SM) built by Orbital, and a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) developed by Thales Alenia Space. Building on 30 years of experience in space infrastructures and transportation systems, the Cygnus PCM developed by Thales Alenia Space calls on the company's skills and expertise developed through previous programs for the International Space Station, such as the MPLM (Multipurpose Logistics Module), built by the company on behalf of the Italian space agency for NASA, and the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) Cargo Carrier, built by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency (ESA).[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.thalesgroup.com/Press_Releases/Markets/Space/2011/Thales_Alenia_Space%E2%80%99s_Cygnus_PCM_shipped_to_United_States/?pid=16687

Thales Alenia Space's Cygnus PCM shipped to United States[/size]

25 August 2011

Thales Alenia Space announced today that it has shipped  its first Pressurized Cargo Module, designed to transport cargo to the International Space Station, to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The PCM, developed on behalf of Cygnus prime contractor Orbital Sciences Corporation, was carried by an Antonov An-24 cargo plane.

At Wallops, Orbital will integrate the PCM with the Service Module (including the avionics, propulsion subsystem and power supply) to produce the complete Cygnus spacecraft. This vehicle will fly a demonstration mission in early 2012, using Orbital's Taurus II launcher, under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement.

Following the demonstration flight, within the scope of the CRS (Commercial Resupply Service) contract signed by Orbital and NASA, Thales Alenia Space will provide Orbital with eight more pressurized modules for cargo missions to the International Space Station, including crew supplies, spare parts and scientific experiments.

The first PCM will be followed by three more units in "standard" configuration, capable of transporting up to 2,000 kg of cargo each, along with five "enhanced" configuration units, boosting payload capacity to 2,700 kg.

The CygnusTM spacecraft comprises a Service Module (SM) built by Orbital, and a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) developed by Thales Alenia Space. Building on 30 years of experience in space infrastructures and transportation systems, the Cygnus PCM developed by Thales Alenia Space calls on the company's skills and expertise developed through previous programs for the International Space Station, such as the MPLM (Multipurpose Logistics Module), built by the company on behalf of the Italian space agency for NASA, and the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) Cargo Carrier, built by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency (ESA).

Thales Alenia Space is a major contributor to the International Space Station, as a key player in the Columbus laboratory and prime contractor for Node 2, Node 3 and the Cupola.[/size]

[Salo]

Доставили:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21179.msg798314#msg798314

[Salo]

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=34442

Cygnus Space Station Cargo Carrier Arrives At NASA Wallops[/size]

    Source: Wallops Flight Facility
    Posted Thursday, August 25, 2011



NASA's work to help develop the next generation of commercial space transportation systems reached another significant achievement yesterday with the arrival at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia of the Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module, Orbital Science Corp.'s spacecraft to carry supplies to the International Space Station.

"This is one more important step in our partnership with U.S. private industry to build safe, reliable and cost effective cargo transportation systems," said Philip McAlister, acting director of commercial spaceflight development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We are pleased that Orbital has made this accomplishment and look forward to the company flying the Cygnus spacecraft in 2012."

During the next several months, Orbital's engineering team will integrate the pressurized module with the Cygnus service module that includes the spacecraft's avionics, propulsion and power systems.

The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled for a demonstration flight from Wallops early next year on an Orbital Taurus II launch vehicle under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services agreement with the company[/size].

[Salo]

http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices/

First Pressurized Cargo Module Arrives at Wallops[/size]
      August 2011
      Ferried aboard an Antonov An-26 aircraft, a cargo container containing the first Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) arrived at the Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia on Thursday, August 24.  The PCM was transported to NASA's H-100 payload processing facility where it will be mated to the Cygnus service module. Together, the PCM and the service module will form the first operational Cygnus that will be launched to the International Space Station to carry out a demonstration mission under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) joint NASA and Orbital research and development program.  The COTS demonstration mission is currently scheduled for early 2012.  Designed to carry approximately 2,000 kg of cargo, the PCM was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy.  Integration and testing of the service module continues at Orbital's Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Dulles, Virginia.[/size]


Container Containing the first Cygnus PCM arrives at Wallops (NASA photo)


After the container was offloaded, it was transported to NASA's H-100 payload processing facility (NASA photo)


PCM prior to shipment from the Thales Alenia Space facility in Turin (Thales Alenia photo)

Ан-26 откровенно позабавил.

[Salo]