Tomorrow the ISS go private cargo ship Cygnus
Less than two days on the ISS will start another "owner-driver", which, like the machine SpaceX Dragon will deliver to the space station set goods. The debut launch of the device Cygnus, developed by Orbital Sciences, scheduled for September 18 in the U.S., with a U.S. Air Force base in Wallops, Virginia. Like the day before the company said, Cygnus has received from NASA and the Air Force final approval to start at a predetermined time interval. The weather is also favorable for launch - 75% chance to start the necessary conditions. Now it is expected that the launch of Cygnus aboard Antares rocket will take place on September 18 at 18:50 MSK. recall that in April of this year, Orbital Sciences has a record start Cygnus, but then it was a pilot launch, but now the operator starts its work 1 ,9-billion contract with NASA to deliver cargo to space. As they say in NASA's launch was originally scheduled for today, but a failure in communications between ground equipment and flight controller at Antares forced to move the launch day. Now the problem is eliminated, but the schedule starts already "moved." Once Cygnus will launch from the Air Force base, he will hold in low Earth orbit and 4 days to reach the ISS on September 22, bringing the station 589 kg of cargo. Total Cygnus can lift into orbit 2700 kg (in the extended configuration). In docked to the ISS condition Cygnus will stay for about a month. Altogether Orbital Sciences current contract is scheduled several flights to the station. In its main competitor, the company contracted SpaceX 12 flights truck Dragon.
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