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Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => NGIS (Formerly Orbital ATK) - Antares/Cygnus Section => Topic started by: Targeteer on 01/31/2014 01:20 am

Title: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 01/31/2014 01:20 am
Resources:

Orbital GENERAL Forum Section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=46.0

Orbital (Antares/Cygnus) News Articles:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/orbital/


EOM Article:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/02/orb-1-cygnus-departs-iss-fiery-farewell/

==

L2 Antares/Cygnus Section - Really good section with a lot of documentation, video and content resources exclusive to L2:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=54.0
(Now includes 100s of mbs of unreleased hi res images taken of Cygnus from the ISS during ORB-D and ORB-1).

Cygnus PCM arrival via AN-124 at Wallops

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.764148203615283.1073741865.191575794205863&type=1
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: InfraNut2 on 01/31/2014 03:17 pm
Service module near completion at Dulles. Photo tweeted yesterday:

https://twitter.com/OrbitalSciences/status/428948772744216576/photo/1

edit: (...and 4 more in the pipeline: https://twitter.com/OrbitalSciences/status/428951221336936448/photo/1).
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Prober on 01/31/2014 03:32 pm
Service module near completion at Dulles. Photo tweeted yesterday:

https://twitter.com/OrbitalSciences/status/428948772744216576/photo/1

edit: (...and 4 more in the pipeline: https://twitter.com/OrbitalSciences/status/428951221336936448/photo/1).

Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: InfraNut2 on 02/24/2014 12:55 pm
A newer picture (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152001527361896) of the ORB-2 Cygnus from the Space Foundation Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Space-Foundation/101353061895). Posted there Thursday 20.

Original caption:
Quote
THANK YOU to Space Foundation Corporate Member company Orbital Sciences Corporation, who hosted two of our team members today! Government Affairs Associate Tommy Sanford and VP - Washington Operations Brendan Curry were treated to a tour of Orbital's mission control centers as well as their spacecraft manufacturing facilities. Here they are posing alongside the next Cygnus cargo module under construction that is set to launch in May. Thank you, Orbital! And Tommy and Brendan…looking good, guys!

edit: added links and date
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 03/19/2014 06:49 pm
Small slip:

Orbital:

Orbital Sciences Corporation today announced that it is targeting a “no-earlier-than” date of May 6, 2014 for the launch of its next commercial cargo resupply (CRS) mission to the International Space Station. The mission will originate from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility located in Eastern Virginia. The targeted launch time for the Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft is 3:44 p.m. (EDT), which is at the beginning of a 5-minute launch window that extends to 3:49 p.m. (EDT).

This mission, known as Orb-2, will represent the third time Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft will have delivered cargo to the ISS, including the demonstration mission under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement that was completed in October 2013 and the first of eight CRS missions, Orb-1, completed in February 2014. At the completion of the Orb-2 mission, Orbital’s system will have delivered approximately 3,800 kilos (about 8,400 lbs.) of cargo to support the Expedition crews conducting research and living aboard the ISS. The Orb-2 mission will also represent the fourth launch of the medium-class Antares rocket in its first 13 months of operations, a significant achievement for a new rocket program.

===

Will write it up.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 03/19/2014 10:18 pm
And that's written up (note I stretched the information with some Castor forward path etc):

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/03/orbital-may-6-next-cygnus-mission-iss/
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Lurker Steve on 03/20/2014 11:37 am
And that's written up (note I stretched the information with some Castor forward path etc):

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/03/orbital-may-6-next-cygnus-mission-iss/

I didn't see it mentioned in the article. Is the delay to allow for more time to unload and reload the Dragon before it leaves the station ? Does every day of SpaceX delay also delay this launch ?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Skyrocket on 03/20/2014 12:27 pm
Any info, if this time also cubesats will be carried to the ISS?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Olaf on 03/20/2014 09:50 pm
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/03/04/march-cubesats/#more-51788
Quote
NanoRacks is fully booked with CubeSats on the next Cygnus spacecraft resupply mission from Orbital Sciences Corporation, currently scheduled for May 1.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 03/22/2014 11:05 am

March 21, 2014



NASA Opens Media Accreditation for May Orbital Sciences Cargo Resupply Mission to International Space Station


Media accreditation is open for the launch of the second NASA contracted cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station from Virginia.

Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., will launch the Orbital-2 cargo resupply mission at 3:44 p.m. EDT Tuesday, May 6, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. A five minute launch window extends until 3:49 p.m.

This will be the second of eight planned cargo resupply missions by Orbital Sciences for NASA under the agency's $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with the company. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver critical science research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA's ability to conduct new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity.

International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by April 4 for credentials to cover the prelaunch and launch activities at Wallops. The application deadline is April 30 for media who are U.S. citizens. Journalists should send their accreditation request to Keith Koehler at [email protected].

For questions about accreditation or additional information, contact Keith Koehler by email or at 757-824-1579.

For information about Orbital Sciences, and its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft, visit:

http://www.orbital.com/antares-cygnus

For more information about the International Space Station and Commercial Resupply Services, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: rayleighscatter on 04/04/2014 05:44 pm
Any likelihood of this slipping a little now with the previous vehicle arriving only 3 weeks prior? Is this a manageable and desirable schedule for ISS?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Rangers75 on 04/04/2014 07:10 pm
Any likelihood of this slipping a little now with the previous vehicle arriving only 3 weeks prior? Is this a manageable and desirable schedule for ISS?

It saddens me when people don't read the news site....

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/04/range-realigns-spacex-crs-3-april/

Quote
Should the Falcon 9 v1.1 launch on either the 14th or 18th, Orbital’s next mission to the ISS, on their CRS-2 mission with the Cygnus spacecraft – is unlikely to suffer from a schedule impact, with options including a reduced berthed period for the Dragon.

Such evaluations will be determined once the Dragon has successfully arrived at the Station, with many considerations in play per the ISS’ very busy Visiting Vehicle (VV) schedule.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: collectSPACE on 04/09/2014 01:40 am
http://spaceflightnow.com/antares/orb2/140408schedule/#.U0Sk_8fc1rA

Preparations for the next Orbital Sciences Corp. cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station are on track for launch in early May, but NASA plans to ask the company to reschedule its resupply run for some time in mid-June after delays in launching a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the complex, sources said.

..high sun angles on the space station's orbit in early June will prevent the safe arrival of the Cygnus spacecraft until at least June 9. Sources said Orbital and NASA have not yet agreed on a target launch date in June.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Sesquipedalian on 04/09/2014 03:38 am
I imagine ORB-2 will take up the balance of the HTV-5 slot, since HTV-5 has been inexplicably delayed to February.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 04/13/2014 07:01 pm
Copied over the MDM failure thread and pre-launch press conference--June it is.

Quote from: Targeteer on Today at 05:28 PM

    Suff's answer to a question about Orbital's next launch was "on the 8th or 9th after the beta cutout" without a month specified.  Is that actually June?


Yes.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: AnalogMan on 04/15/2014 01:10 pm
Status update from Mike Suffredini at an NAC meeting yesterday.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Danderman on 04/17/2014 01:57 pm
http://ssep.ncesse.org/2014/04/april-17-2014-flight-ops-update-the-flight-of-charlie-brown-on-orb-2-the-ssep-mission-5-experiments-payload/

April 17, 2014 FLIGHT OPS UPDATE: The Flight of Charlie Brown on Orb-2 – The SSEP Mission 5 Experiments Payload

All SSEP student flight teams for the 15 Mission 5 to ISS experiments are still driving against a May 6, 2014, launch. All mini-labs containing the flight experiments are due at NanoRacks in Houston by Friday, April 18, 2014, for integration into the SSEP Charlie Brown payload. Charlie Brown will then be integrated into the Cygnus spacecraft for launch as Orb-2 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Wallops Island, VA.

However, a May 6 launch of Orb-2 to the International Space Station (ISS) can only take place if the launch of SpaceX-3 out of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL - also bound for ISS - is so significantly delayed that Orb-2 is given the go ahead to launch before SpaceX-3 (see April 14, 2014 Post).  We were expecting a launch of SpaceX-3 on April 14, but that did not occur due to a helium leak in the Falcon 9 rocket.

Current Status: the Orb-2 launch has not yet been moved ahead of SpaceX-3. NASA has rescheduled the launch of SpaceX-3 for Friday, April 18, at 3:25 pm EDT. NASA is also holding open a second window for a launch attempt on Saturday, April 19, at 3:02 pm EDT. If SpaceX-3, for whatever reason, does not launch by Saturday, we are assuming that Orb-2 will be given the go to launch on May 6. If SpaceX-3 does launch by Saturday, the Orb-2 launch, and the flight of the SSEP Charlie Brown payload will be delayed until mid-June. The space drama …. continues. Stay tuned.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Lurker Steve on 04/17/2014 02:37 pm
Does this Cygnus have a name yet ?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Galactic Penguin SST on 04/17/2014 02:42 pm
A note - if the launch of Cygnus slips to June 10, the launch time would be in the middle of the night, around 2:20 am EDT (06:20 UTC) for that day.  ::)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Lee Jay on 04/17/2014 02:50 pm
Well, it's just early morning for Chris!  :)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: SaxtonHale on 04/17/2014 05:09 pm
Dangit, SpaceX. That is going to make for a tiring drive...
I was hoping to bring some people out with me but I don't think they're crazy enough to see a 2:30 launch
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Prober on 04/17/2014 06:06 pm
http://ssep.ncesse.org/2014/04/april-17-2014-flight-ops-update-the-flight-of-charlie-brown-on-orb-2-the-ssep-mission-5-experiments-payload/


Current Status: the Orb-2 launch has not yet been moved ahead of SpaceX-3. NASA has rescheduled the launch of SpaceX-3 for Friday, April 18, at 3:25 pm EDT. NASA is also holding open a second window for a launch attempt on Saturday, April 19, at 3:02 pm EDT. If SpaceX-3, for whatever reason, does not launch by Saturday, we are assuming that Orb-2 will be given the go to launch on May 6. If SpaceX-3 does launch by Saturday, the Orb-2 launch, and the flight of the SSEP Charlie Brown payload will be delayed until mid-June. The space drama …. continues. Stay tuned.

Anything On "Made in Space" has it been pulled or its status? 

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33141.msg1179409#msg1179409
https://twitter.com/_madeinspace    http://www.madeinspace.us/
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Galactic Penguin SST on 04/22/2014 01:48 am
A note - if the launch of Cygnus slips to June 10, the launch time would be in the middle of the night, around 2:20 am EDT (06:20 UTC) for that day.  ::)

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html (http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html) reports a launch time of 06:07:07 UTC (2:07:07 am EDT) on June 10.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Galactic Penguin SST on 04/26/2014 01:22 am
I have seen reports that Aerojet has been unable to acquire the start cartridges for the AJ-26s for the next few Antares due to Russia sanctions. Can anyone verify this?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Antares on 04/26/2014 04:04 am
Where are those reports that you've seen?  Links?  I believe it.  I'd just like to read them.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: starsilk on 04/26/2014 04:40 am
I have seen reports that Aerojet has been unable to acquire the start cartridges for the AJ-26s for the next few Antares due to Russia sanctions. Can anyone verify this?

googling didn't turn up any rumors for me... but I did find this: http://www.lpre.de/resources/articles/AIAA-1998-3361.pdf

it's an extremely detailed description of the NK-33 and the things Aerojet has done to turn it into the AJ-26. there's a lot of discussion of the way various parts of the original NK-33 were started, and how things now work.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: starsilk on 04/26/2014 05:10 am
I have seen reports that Aerojet has been unable to acquire the start cartridges for the AJ-26s for the next few Antares due to Russia sanctions. Can anyone verify this?

googling didn't turn up any rumors for me... but I did find this: http://www.lpre.de/resources/articles/AIAA-1998-3361.pdf

it's an extremely detailed description of the NK-33 and the things Aerojet has done to turn it into the AJ-26. there's a lot of discussion of the way various parts of the original NK-33 were started, and how things now work.

page 15 describes the changes that were made, and contains this:

Quote
Component: Start cartridge and MCC igniter solid propellant
Modification: Replace with U.S. ordnance
Modification Rationale: Russian availability
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Galactic Penguin SST on 04/26/2014 03:47 pm
Where are those reports that you've seen?  Links?  I believe it.  I'd just like to read them.

Here of all forums in the world (http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=466154#post466154) (IIRC that member's father work with Aerojet @ Sacramento)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: arachnitect on 04/26/2014 06:26 pm
Where are those reports that you've seen?  Links?  I believe it.  I'd just like to read them.

Here of all forums in the world (http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=466154#post466154) (IIRC that member's father work with Aerojet @ Sacramento)

he just says "supply issue" it could be an entirely domestic matter.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Prober on 04/26/2014 10:33 pm
Where are those reports that you've seen?  Links?  I believe it.  I'd just like to read them.

Here of all forums in the world (http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=466154#post466154) (IIRC that member's father work with Aerojet @ Sacramento)

he just says "supply issue" it could be an entirely domestic matter.

not worth the time
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 05/02/2014 03:02 pm
May 2, 2014

NASA Extends Media Accreditation for Next Orbital Sciences Cargo Resupply Mission to International Space Station

Media accreditation has been extended for the launch of the second NASA contracted cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station from Virginia.

Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., will launch the Orbital-2 cargo resupply mission at 2:07 a.m. EDT Tuesday, June 10 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. NASA Television coverage begins at 1:15 a.m.

With a launch on June 10, Orbital's Cygnus cargo spacecraft will arrive at the space station on June 13. Cygnus will remain at the orbiting laboratory until July 11.

This will be the second of eight planned cargo missions by Orbital Sciences for NASA under the agency's $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with the company. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver critical science research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA's ability to conduct new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity.

 International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by May 12 for credentials to cover the prelaunch and launch activities at Wallops. The application deadline is June 4 for media who are U.S. citizens. Journalists should send their accreditation request to Keith Koehler at [email protected].

 For questions about accreditation or additional information, contact Keith Koehler by email or at 757-824-1579.

 For information about Orbital, and its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/orbital
 and
http://www.orbital.com/antares-cygnus

 For more information about the International Space Station and Commercial Resupply Services, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Prober on 05/05/2014 01:40 am
http://ssep.ncesse.org/2014/04/april-17-2014-flight-ops-update-the-flight-of-charlie-brown-on-orb-2-the-ssep-mission-5-experiments-payload/


Current Status: the Orb-2 launch has not yet been moved ahead of SpaceX-3. NASA has rescheduled the launch of SpaceX-3 for Friday, April 18, at 3:25 pm EDT. NASA is also holding open a second window for a launch attempt on Saturday, April 19, at 3:02 pm EDT. If SpaceX-3, for whatever reason, does not launch by Saturday, we are assuming that Orb-2 will be given the go to launch on May 6. If SpaceX-3 does launch by Saturday, the Orb-2 launch, and the flight of the SSEP Charlie Brown payload will be delayed until mid-June. The space drama …. continues. Stay tuned.

Anything On "Made in Space" has it been pulled or its status? 

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33141.msg1179409#msg1179409
https://twitter.com/_madeinspace    http://www.madeinspace.us/

Just found out Made in Space got bumped from ORB-2 and is now going on Spx-4   Anyone have any details on why this got bumped?   Problems from the Payload end or other.....any info appreciated.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Ben the Space Brit on 05/05/2014 04:43 pm
Any talk of delaying ORB-CRS-2 because of the delay in extracting the OPALS experiment from SpX-CRS-3's trunk? Unless there is any time-critical sensitive cargo, I suppose they can just leave the Cygnus in a parking orbit until the Dragon clears Harmony Nadir.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: pericynthion on 05/05/2014 05:18 pm
Any talk of delaying ORB-CRS-2 because of the delay in extracting the OPALS experiment from SpX-CRS-3's trunk? Unless there is any time-critical sensitive cargo, I suppose they can just leave the Cygnus in a parking orbit until the Dragon clears Harmony Nadir.

ORB-2 was already delayed to June 10th, so I expect Dragon will be bobbing in the ocean before then.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: LastOf7 on 05/05/2014 10:19 pm
Is there somewhere online that shows the full cargo for this flight?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: arachnitect on 05/06/2014 10:56 pm
Is there somewhere online that shows the full cargo for this flight?

Orbital put out a press kit for Orb-1 that had a cargo manifest in it. Once we get closer to launch we should see one from either NASA or Orbital.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: averagespacejoe on 05/23/2014 06:31 am
I was wondering if anyone knows where a bigger image of the mission patch for CRS ORB-2 might be. The only one I can find is on the Orbital Sciences webpage and it is very tiny.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: ChrisWilson68 on 05/23/2014 07:19 am
Does anyone believe the June 10 date can still happen given the engine explosion at Stennis?  If not, what are your guesses about the best and worst case delays to ORB-2?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: deltaV on 05/23/2014 08:33 am
Given how close it is to June 10 I'm guessing that the engine that RUDed was intended for a later Antares, not this flight. So if they determine the cause quickly and clear CRS-2's engine of the same defect they may not have to delay at all.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: ChrisWilson68 on 05/23/2014 08:52 am
Given how close it is to June 10 I'm guessing that the engine that RUDed was intended for a later Antares, not this flight. So if they determine the cause quickly and clear CRS-2's engine of the same defect they may not have to delay at all.

18 days to discover the root cause from shattered pieces of an engine and be convinced there's no chance they got it wrong, plus do whatever inspections are necessary to clear the CRS-2 engine and approve it for flight?  That seems awfully optimistic.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: GClark on 05/23/2014 12:56 pm
...shattered pieces of an engine...

We don't know that.  It may not have completely disassembled itself.

V/R,
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Norm38 on 05/23/2014 01:38 pm
They should also have a full set of telemetry data from the test leading up to the moment of failure.  The engine hardware itself isn't all they have to work with.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: LouScheffer on 05/23/2014 02:05 pm
Given how close it is to June 10 I'm guessing that the engine that RUDed was intended for a later Antares, not this flight. So if they determine the cause quickly and clear CRS-2's engine of the same defect they may not have to delay at all.

18 days to discover the root cause from shattered pieces of an engine and be convinced there's no chance they got it wrong, plus do whatever inspections are necessary to clear the CRS-2 engine and approve it for flight?  That seems awfully optimistic.


The last time this happened, it took about 3.5 months to figure out the cause, then plan and implement the better inspections.

[...] a fourth engine suffered a failure during a June 9, 2011 static test at Stennis Space Center's E-1 test stand.  The engine caught fire during the aborted test because of a kerosene fuel leak from an engine manifold.[...]  The replacement engine was successfully hot-fire tested on September 28, 2011 after improved inspection protocols had been implemented.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: edkyle99 on 05/28/2014 01:44 pm
"Mission Update - May 28, 2014

Orbital has rescheduled the launch of its Antares rocket for the Orb-2 mission to a date of no earlier than (NET) June 17, 2014. Orb-2 is the second of eight cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station under Orbital’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The new launch schedule has been established to allow the engineering teams from the main stage propulsion supplier Aerojet Rocketdyne and Orbital to investigate the causes of an AJ26 engine failure that occurred last week at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during customary acceptance testing. That engine was designated for use in a mission slated for 2015 and was undergoing hot fire testing that all Antares AJ26 engines are subject to in order to ensure nominal performance and acceptance for use in Antares missions. The NET June 17 is a planning date. The determination of a new firm date will depend on progress of the investigation team, so please check back to this page for further updates."

http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-2/
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 06/05/2014 10:10 pm
Per L2, looking at June 20.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Alpha Control on 06/06/2014 03:34 am
Does anyone have an EDT launch time for June 20th?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Lee Jay on 06/06/2014 03:55 am
Does anyone have an EDT launch time for June 20th?

Don't know, but it seems to be in plane in the neighborhood of 10pm.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: kirghizstan on 06/07/2014 11:03 am
Does anyone have a graphic of where you will be able to see this from. I'm going to Maryland that week but I can't drive 3.5 hours there with 4 & 1 year olds. Hoping the graphic might say we will be able to see the accent from our location. Thanks
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: mvpel on 06/07/2014 01:34 pm
Does anyone have a graphic of where you will be able to see this from. I'm going to Maryland that week but I can't drive 3.5 hours there with 4 & 1 year olds. Hoping the graphic might say we will be able to see the accent from our location. Thanks

Enjoy!

(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/028/064/i02/antares-rocket-launch-viewing-map.jpg?1366084138)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: srepetsk on 06/09/2014 02:44 pm
Doesn't look like this has already been posted...

https://twitter.com/OrbitalSciences/status/476011220235874305 (https://twitter.com/OrbitalSciences/status/476011220235874305)
< OrbitalSciences> We updated our #Orb2 CRS mission schedule from @NASA_Wallops to no earlier than July 1. See #Antares launch update: http://t.co/9TG3pspghV <orbital.com/NewsInfo/Missi?>
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Galactic Penguin SST on 06/09/2014 02:47 pm
From OSC:

Mission Update - June 9, 2014

Orbital has updated its Antares launch schedule for the Orb-2 mission to a date no earlier than (NET) July 1, 2014. Orb-2 is the second of eight cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under the company’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The new launch schedule reflects the timing of the investigation into the cause of an AJ26 engine failure that occurred in late May at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during customary acceptance testing. All other elements of the Orb-2 mission are prepared to move forward, including the Cygnus spacecraft, which is fueled and, except for late-load cargo, is packed with its manifest of ISS cargo.

The engine that failed was designated for use in a 2015 CRS mission and was undergoing hot fire testing that all Antares AJ26 engines are subject to in order to ensure nominal performance and acceptance for use in Antares missions. The investigation into the failure is being led by the Antares main stage propulsion supplier, Aerojet Rocketdyne, with Orbital and NASA engineers also supporting the effort. Once the investigation team reaches the point in their process that they can clear Antares to launch the Orb-2 mission, a targeted launch date will be established. For now, NET July 1 is simply a planning date. Please check back to this page for further updates.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 06/10/2014 02:55 pm
Here's an article for the latest change of schedule:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/06/commercial-duo-refine-upcoming-launch-dates/
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 06/23/2014 04:24 pm
Another delay.

NET July 10 at 2:02pm Eastern   
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: pericynthion on 06/23/2014 04:26 pm
Thanks Chris!
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Artyom. on 06/23/2014 04:38 pm
NASA Wallops ‏@NASA_Wallops
@OrbitalSciences is targeting NET July 10 for its next ISS resupply mission from Wallops/MARS Pad 0A. 2:20:51 p.m. EDT scheduled lift-off.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: psloss on 06/23/2014 04:58 pm
A little elaboration on Orbital's mission update page:
http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-2/

Quote
Mission Update – June 23, 2014

Orbital has updated its launch schedule for the Orb-2 mission to a date no earlier than July 10, 2014. Orb-2 is the second of eight cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under the company’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The new launch schedule reflects progress in the investigation into the cause of an AJ26 engine test failure and identification of specific actions to clear the Orb-2 mission for flight.

The Antares team will inspect the AJ26 engines installed on the Orb-2 rocket this week, and a decision to proceed toward launch will be based on the results of the inspections. All other elements of the Orb-2 mission are prepared to move forward, including the Cygnus spacecraft, which is fueled and, except for late-load cargo, is packed with its manifest of ISS cargo.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Galactic Penguin SST on 06/23/2014 05:02 pm
There goes that day - next Arianespace Soyuz launch is just 30 minutes after Cygnus launches (18:55 UTC vs 18:20 UTC).....   ;)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Prober on 06/23/2014 05:06 pm
There goes that day - next Arianespace Soyuz launch is just 30 minutes after Cygnus launches (18:55 UTC vs 18:20 UTC).....   ;)

Beats the 1st of July, now we can watch the Delta II  ;)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: psloss on 06/23/2014 05:19 pm
There goes that day - next Arianespace Soyuz launch is just 30 minutes after Cygnus launches (18:55 UTC vs 18:20 UTC).....   ;)
Still an emphasis on the No-Earlier-Than and they still have more work to do.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 06/25/2014 12:52 pm
The mission patch
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Prober on 07/02/2014 02:23 pm
Countdown now on the main NASA page
http://www.nasa.gov/
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Guinness_Harp on 07/02/2014 03:47 pm
NASA's Orb-2 Mission Patch
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Olaf on 07/02/2014 05:48 pm
Does this Cygnus have a name yet ?
According to the mission patch it is named "Janice Voss".
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: srepetsk on 07/03/2014 01:27 pm
@OrbitalSciences We are targeting July 11 at 1:40 p.m. (EDT) for #Orb2 mission to #ISS under #CRS contract with @NASA http://t.co/C4ktKtQovW
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: catdlr on 07/03/2014 05:50 pm
July 3, 2014
MEDIA ADVISORY M14-115

NASA Television Coverage Set for Orbital-2 Mission to Space Station

Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares rocket for the Orb-2 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station is lifted onto the Transporter/Erector/Launcher (TEL). The stage one core for the next mission, Orb-3, is on the left. Orbital is scheduled to launch its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the space station on July 11 from the Mid-Atlantic Spaceport’s Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the upcoming Orbital Sciences Corp.'s mission to resupply the International Space Station.

Orbital's Cygnus cargo spacecraft is scheduled to launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Launch Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, July 11 at 1:40 p.m. EDT.

NASA TV will air a comprehensive video feed of launch preparations and other footage related to the mission beginning at 12:30 p.m. Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at 1 p.m.

On Thursday, July 10, media briefings previewing the mission's science cargo and a prelaunch status from Wallops will be broadcast on NASA TV at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.

The Cygnus will be filled with more than 3,000 pounds of supplies for the station, including science experiments to expand the research capability of the Expedition 40 crew members aboard the orbiting laboratory, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware.

Among the research investigations headed to the space station aboard Orbital-2 are a flock of nanosatellites that are designed to take images of Earth, developed by Planet Labs of San Francisco; and a satellite-related investigation called TechEdSat-4 built by NASA's Ames Research Center in California, which aims to develop technology that will eventually enable small samples to be returned to Earth from the space station. In addition, a host of student experiments are being flown in association with the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, an initiative of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and NanoRacks.

This and future commercial cargo resupply flights will ensure a robust national capability to deliver critical science research to orbit, significantly increasing NASA's ability to conduct new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity.

If Cygnus launches as scheduled, the spacecraft will arrive at the space station on Tuesday, July 15. Station commander Steven Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency will be standing by in the station’s cupola to capture the resupply craft with the station's robotic arm and install it on the Earth-facing port of the station's Harmony module.

NASA TV coverage of capture and installation will begin at 6:15 a.m.  on July 15. Grapple is scheduled at approximately 7:24 a.m. Coverage of the installation of Cygnus onto Harmony will begin at 9:30 a.m.

For a full update of media activities and more information on the Orbital-2 mission, visit:                                           
http://www.nasa.gov/orbital
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv
For video b-roll and media resources on the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/stationnews
For more information about International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
-end-
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/03/2014 07:45 pm
Mission Update – July 3, 2014

Orbital has established July 11, 2014 as the targeted date for the launch of the Orb-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the second operational cargo resupply mission under the company’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The targeted launch time from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on July 11 will be 1:40 p.m. (EDT).

The engineering team that is investigating the failure of an AJ26 engine during an acceptance test at Stennis Space Center recommended that certain inspections be performed on the two AJ26 engines that are currently integrated on the Antares rocket. These inspections were recently completed and program officials have cleared the rocket for flight.

Leading up to the launch, the Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft will be mated to the rocket today. After the loading of the final time sensitive cargo and installation of the rocket’s payload fairing, Antares will be rolled out to the launch pad on July 9. A launch on July 11 will result in a rendezvous and berthing with the ISS on July 15. The Cygnus spacecraft will deliver 1,657 kg of cargo to the ISS and will be loaded with approximately 1,346 kg of material for disposal upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/03/2014 07:46 pm
From NASA:

Orbital Sciences and the International Space Station Program officially have set Friday, July 11, as the launch date for the Antares rocket and the Cygnus cargo craft on the Orbital-2 resupply mission to the space station.

Launch time on July 11 is 1:40:27 p.m. EDT from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA Television coverage will begin at 1 p.m.

A launch on July 11 will result in the rendezvous and grapple of Cygnus by Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency at 7:24 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15. Rendezvous coverage on NASA TV will begin at 6:15 a.m.

NASA TV also will provide coverage of Cygnus’ berthing to Harmony beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Cygnus will remain berthed to the station until August 15.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: theonlyspace on 07/04/2014 12:08 pm
Was there a NASA patch for ORB-D and ORB -1? If so where can they be seen at? Thanks Joe
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Jim on 07/04/2014 02:24 pm
Was there a NASA patch for ORB-D and ORB -1? If so where can they be seen at? Thanks Joe

Collectspace website
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: theonlyspace on 07/04/2014 09:16 pm
Non on Collect Space web site. Does anyone know if NASA had their own patch for ORB-D and ORB-1 as they have for ORB-2.  If so.. can someone post them on here  pleased or post a link to them. Thanks
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: catdlr on 07/04/2014 09:36 pm
Was there a NASA patch for ORB-D and ORB -1? If so where can they be seen at? Thanks Joe

The ORB-1?  http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33044.msg1130169#msg1130169

ORB-D? http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-D1/

Orbital Gift Store (scroll to page 14):  http://www.orbital.com/CompanyStore/files/Catalog.pdf#search="Orb-1 patch"
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jsmjr on 07/04/2014 10:52 pm
I didn't see the NOTMAR posted, so here it is.  Has the following approximate times for launches:

July 11, 1330-1500 EDT (Scheduled launch day)
July 12, 1300-1430 EDT (Backup day)
July 13, 1245-1415 EDT (Backup day)
July 14, 1215-1345 EDT (Backup day)
July 15, 1200-1330 EDT (Backup day)
July 16, 1130-1300 EDT (Backup day)
July 17, 1100-1230 EDT (Backup day)

Can't attend as I'm getting married on July 12.  Might be able to see the launch from southern Maryland, though.  ;-) 
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Avron on 07/04/2014 11:02 pm
big window each day .. wow 30 mins.. I guess that is approx...  give or take 20 mins
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: edkyle99 on 07/05/2014 12:25 am
Can't attend as I'm getting married on July 12.   
Congratulations and best wishes!

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Lewis007 on 07/05/2014 06:40 am
Was there a NASA patch for ORB-D and ORB -1? If so where can they be seen at? Thanks Joe

The ORB-1?  http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33044.msg1130169#msg1130169

ORB-D? http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-D1/

Orbital Gift Store (scroll to page 14):  http://www.orbital.com/CompanyStore/files/Catalog.pdf#search="Orb-1 patch"

These patches are the Orbital patches, not the ones from NASA...
(assuming that there are NASA patches for these missions).
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: AnalogMan on 07/07/2014 11:59 pm
Recently issued fact sheet for Orbital-2 mission - includes cargo summary & research highlights (2 pages):

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/orb2-factsheet.pdf (http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/orb2-factsheet.pdf)

(copy also attached)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: averagespacejoe on 07/08/2014 07:43 am
So does anyone have a picture of the CRS Orb-2 (the one from Orbital not NASA) that is bigger than the tiny thumbnail they have had on their website for weeks.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: AnalogMan on 07/09/2014 12:23 am
Update:

Antares Fairing Installed

The payload fairing is installed on the Orbital Sciences Antares rocket at the Horizontal Integration Facility at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. The Antares rocket is scheduled to roll-out to Virginia's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A Wednesday, July 9, ahead of its scheduled launch July 11.

The Antares rocket will carry Orbital's unmanned Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station. This Orbital-2 mission's cargo is more than 3,000 pounds of supplies for the station, including science experiments to expand the research capability of the Expedition 40 crew members aboard the orbiting laboratory, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware.

Image Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/antares-fairing-installed (http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/antares-fairing-installed)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: Fuji on 07/09/2014 11:35 am
NASA Orbital-2 Press Kit
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Orb2_PRESS_KIT.pdf

Quote
Cygnus will be detached from the station August 15 and be guided to a safe distance away from the orbiting laboratory. The Cygnus spacecraft will fly up to an additional 15 days after departure to conduct spacecraft engineering tests to support future mission objectives.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: AnalogMan on 07/09/2014 12:01 pm
So does anyone have a picture of the CRS Orb-2 (the one from Orbital not NASA) that is bigger than the tiny thumbnail they have had on their website for weeks.

Still not very big, or of high quality (click to slightly enlarge).
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/09/2014 06:26 pm
Mission Update – July 9, 2014

The final cargo for the Orb-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) the was loaded into the Cygnus spacecraft early yesterday morning and the hatch was closed. The Antares payload fairing was then istalled in advance of roll out of the rocket to the launch pad which is scheduuled to occur this morning. Orb-2 is the second operational cargo resupply mission under the company’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The targeted launch time from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on July 11 will be 1:40 p.m. (EDT).

A launch on July 11 will result in a rendezvous and berthing with the ISS on July 15. The Cygnus spacecraft will deliver 1,657 kg of cargo to the ISS and will be loaded with approximately 1,346 kg of material for disposal upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/09/2014 06:27 pm
Orbital Sciences@OrbitalSciences   

Roll-out of #Antares rocket to MARS pad at @NASA_Wallops scheduled for ~12:30 pm EDT. Thunderstorm last night pushed sked back. @NASA #Orb2

Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/09/2014 06:45 pm
Here's the associated release:

ISS COMMERCIAL RESUPPLY SERVICES MISSION (ORB-2)

Mission Update – July 9, 2014

Orbital announced today that the launch of Antares for the Orb-2 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 12 at 1:14 p.m. EDT. Due to severe thunderstorms in the Wallops area the night of Tuesday, July 8, the rollout of the Antares rocket to its launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport scheduled for this morning was delayed resulting in a compression of the operational schedule leading to the launch. This afternoon, the company’s launch team determined the best course of action would be to postpone the launch one day to allow for normal launch operations processing. Despite the one day schedule slip, Cygnus will still arrive at the ISS on July 15 with berthing scheduled at approximately 7:24 a.m. EDT.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/10/2014 07:35 am

July 9, 2014

NASA TV Coverage Set for Saturday Orbital-2 Mission to Space Station


NASA Television will provide live coverage of the upcoming Orbital Sciences' mission to resupply the International Space Station. Orbital's Cygnus cargo spacecraft is schedule to launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Launch Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Saturday, July 12 at 1:14 p.m. EDT.

Weather conditions at Wallops Tuesday night delayed the scheduled rollout of Orbital's Antares rocket to the launch pad Wednesday, prompting the company to delay launch by a day.

NASA TV will air a comprehensive video feed of launch preparations and other footage related to the mission beginning at noon. Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at 12:30 p.m. A post-launch news conference will be held at 2:45 p.m.

On Friday, July 11, media briefings previewing the mission's science cargo and a prelaunch status from Wallops will be broadcast on NASA TV at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.

Media also may join the briefings by phone. To obtain dial-in information, media must contact Rachel Kraft at [email protected] with their name and media affiliation no later than 30 minutes before the beginning of each briefing. The public also may ask questions on social media using the hashtag #AskNASA.

The Cygnus will be filled with approximately 3,300 pounds of supplies for the station, including science experiments to expand the research capability of the space station's Expedition 40 crew members aboard the station, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware.

Among the research investigations headed to the orbital laboratory are a flock of nanosatellites designed to take images of Earth, developed by Planet Labs of San Francisco, and a satellite-based investigation called TechEdSat-4 built by NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, which aims to develop technology that eventually will enable small samples to be returned to Earth from the space station. In addition, a host of student experiments are on board as part of the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, an initiative of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and NanoRacks.

This and future commercial cargo resupply flights will ensure a robust national capability to deliver critical science research to orbit, significantly increasing NASA's ability to conduct new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity.

If Cygnus launches as scheduled, the spacecraft will arrive at the space station on Tuesday, July 15. Station commander Steven Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency will be standing by in the station’s cupola to capture the resupply craft with the station's robotic arm and install it on the Earth-facing port of the station's Harmony module.

NASA TV coverage of capture and installation will begin at 6:15 a.m. on July 15. Grapple is scheduled at approximately 7:24 a.m. Coverage of the installation of Cygnus onto Harmony will begin at 9:30 a.m.

For a full update of media activities and more information on the Orbital-2 mission, visit:                                           

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For video b-roll and media resources on the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/stationnews

For more information about International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: srepetsk on 07/10/2014 12:51 pm
Vehicle was rolled out overnight to the pad: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/sets/72157645197248990/
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/10/2014 01:00 pm
A reminder, we will move to the live launch day thread on Friday night/Saturday morning. Then another live thread for RNDZ and Berthing.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/10/2014 01:47 pm
PHOTO CUTLINE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 10. 2014

ORBITAL’S ANTARES ROCKET ROLLS OUT TO MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL SPACEPORT LAUNCH PAD FOR UPCOMING MISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

 

(Wallops Island, VA 10 July 2014) – Today, Orbital Sciences Corporation’s (NYSE: ORB) operations team rolled out the Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus cargo logistics resupply vehicle for its launch to the International Space Station. The Orb-2 mission is scheduled to launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Eastern Virginia on Saturday, July 12.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: AnalogMan on 07/10/2014 01:52 pm
Another photo from the rollout.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/10/2014 07:25 pm
CAPCOM stated during the DPC that a reboost scheduled for next Thursday will be tomorrow due to the delay of the Cygnus launch.  Hopefully that launch delay is not a new one from Saturday but there was also a private Mission Director conference before the DPC so I'm getting a little worried something hasn't been announced yet...
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/10/2014 07:33 pm
CAPCOM stated during the DPC that a reboost scheduled for next Thursday will be tomorrow due to the delay of the Cygnus launch.  Hopefully that launch delay is not a new one from Saturday but there was also a private Mission Director conference before the DPC so I'm getting a little worried something hasn't been announced yet...

The crew just asked CAPCOM to restore the streaming video feed and Houston replied that the Antares is almost vertical so I'm glad I was just being paranoid :)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: catdlr on 07/10/2014 08:01 pm
Pre-launch Activities Complete for Supply Mission to ISS

Published on Jul 10, 2014
Orbital Sciences Corporation has completed pre-launch processing and rollout of its Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo craft at Wallops Flight Facility. Launch opportunities for the Orbital-2 mission to the International Space Station begin July 12. Orb-2 is the company's second operational resupply mission to the ISS under its Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft is delivering almost 33-hundred pounds of cargo, including science experiments to expand the research capability of the Expedition 40 crew onboard the station.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAbni7TDJ_U
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 11, 2014
Post by: grythumn on 07/10/2014 08:27 pm
So does anyone have a picture of the CRS Orb-2 (the one from Orbital not NASA) that is bigger than the tiny thumbnail they have had on their website for weeks.

Still not very big, or of high quality (click to slightly enlarge).

Orbital just posted a better one:

Quote
The gold astronaut emblem on the #Orb2 mission patch honors Janice Voss, former Orbital employee/NASA astronaut http://ow.ly/i/6bSI3

-Bob

Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: srepetsk on 07/10/2014 08:30 pm
More NASA photos of the rocket being raised at the pad:

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/sets/72157645203859287/
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 12, 2014
Post by: catdlr on 07/10/2014 11:28 pm
Antares Rocket Raised on Launch Pad

Published on Jul 10, 2014
The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen in this time-lapse movie as it is raised at launch Pad-0A, Thursday, July 10, 2014, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with over 3,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. The Orbital-2 mission is Orbital Sciences' second contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOJXiXGt7ls
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/11/2014 12:40 pm
Now NET Sunday, due to poor weather hampering the pad flow.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/11/2014 12:45 pm
ISS Commercial Resupply Services Mission (Orb-2)

Mission Update – July 11, 2014

Orbital announced this morning that the launch of the Antares rocket for the Orb-2 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station for NASA has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 13 at 12:52 p.m. EDT. Over the past several days, Orbital’s launch team has made great progress in preparing the rocket for the Orb-2 mission, which will be the fourth flight of Antares in the past 15 months.  However, severe weather in the Wallops area has repeatedly interrupted the team’s normal operational schedule leading up to the launch.  As a result, these activities have taken longer than expected.  Orbital has decided to postpone the Orb-2 mission by an additional day in order to maintain normal launch operations processing.  With its launch moved to Sunday, Cygnus is now scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Wednesday, July 16 with grapple by the station’s robotic arm scheduled for approximately 6:37 a.m. EDT.  Cygnus is carrying about 3,300 pounds of supplies for the Station including research investigations, crew provisions, hardware, and science experiments from across the country.

 
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Galactic Penguin SST on 07/11/2014 12:56 pm
Missing the World Cup Final by just 2 hours! Phew.....
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/11/2014 06:49 pm
Space Station live update mentioned a science/payload update at 3pm, not sure if that was eastern or central US...
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Scylla on 07/11/2014 06:52 pm
Space Station live update mentioned a science/payload update at 3pm, not sure if that was eastern or central US...

3:00 PM Central--4:00 PM ET
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: catdlr on 07/11/2014 07:25 pm
July 11, 2014

MEDIA ADVISORY M14-120

NASA TV Coverage Reset for Sunday Orbital-2 Mission to Space Station


NASA Television will provide live coverage of the upcoming Orbital Sciences' mission to resupply the International Space Station. Orbital's Cygnus cargo spacecraft is schedule to launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Launch Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Sunday, July 13 at 12:52 p.m. EDT.
Severe weather in the Wallops area throughout the week repeatedly interrupted Orbital’s operations schedule leading up to the launch, resulting in the company deciding to postpone launch to Sunday.

NASA TV will air a comprehensive video feed of launch preparations and other footage related to the mission beginning at 11:30 a.m. Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at noon. A post-launch news conference will be held about an hour-and-a-half after launch.

On Saturday, July 12, a prelaunch status from Wallops will be broadcast on NASA TV at 1 p.m. A media briefing previewing the science and technology cargo headed to the space station will still occur at 4 p.m. today, as previously planned.

Media also may join the briefings by phone. To obtain dial-in information, media must contact Rachel Kraft at [email protected] with their name and media affiliation no later than 30 minutes before the beginning of each briefing. The public also may ask questions on social media using the hashtag #AskNASA.

The Cygnus will be filled with approximately 3,300 pounds of supplies for the station, including science experiments to expand the research capability of the space station's Expedition 40 crew members aboard the station, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware.

Among the research investigations headed to the orbital laboratory are a flock of nanosatellites designed to take images of Earth, developed by Planet Labs of San Francisco, and a satellite-based investigation called TechEdSat-4 built by NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, which aims to develop technology that eventually will enable small samples to be returned to Earth from the space station. In addition, a host of student experiments are on board as part of the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, an initiative of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and NanoRacks.

This and future commercial cargo resupply flights will ensure a robust national capability to deliver critical science research to orbit, significantly increasing NASA's ability to conduct new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity.

If Cygnus launches as scheduled, the spacecraft will arrive at the space station on Wednesday, July 16. Station commander Steven Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency will be standing by in the station’s cupola to capture the resupply craft with the station's robotic arm and install it on the Earth-facing port of the station's Harmony module.

NASA TV coverage of capture will begin at 5:15 a.m. on July 16. Grapple is scheduled at approximately 6:37 a.m. Installation coverage of Cygnus onto Harmony will begin at 8:30 a.m.

For a full update of media activities and more information on the Orbital-2 mission, visit:                                           
http://www.nasa.gov/orbital
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv
For video b-roll and media resources on the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/stationnews
For more information about International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
-end-

Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket
Orbital Sciences Corporation's Cygnus spacecraft will launch atop an Antares rocket carrying more than 3,000 pounds of supplies to the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions.
Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: rayleighscatter on 07/11/2014 08:50 pm
Here's a pair of live views from NASA TV.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: John44 on 07/11/2014 09:07 pm
Orbital Sciences Conducts Final Cargo Loading, Payload Fairing Installation and Rollout
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8983

Orbital Sciences/Cygnus-2 Science and Technology Cargo News Conference
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8984

Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/12/2014 08:28 am
Antares media schedule change for July 12

We are moving the Antares Pre-Launch briefing to 4:30 p.m., tomorrow, July 12, in the NASA Visitor Center. It was scheduled for 1 p.m. It will still air on NASA-TV.

We are still on schedule to set up the remote cameras at 2 p.m.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/12/2014 02:20 pm
Per L2 they are working an issue that could delay launch (but there's a good chance it won't). If we know either way, I'll post here.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/12/2014 07:31 pm
Well looks like all is good now as they've approved tomorrow's attempt! :)

There's apparently a briefing coming up. If someone wants to cover, it'd be appreciated. If not there will be a video replay posted here, obviously.

After that, live thread for tomorrow.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:25 pm
5 minutes to the brief
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:32 pm
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:35 pm
ISS is ready to receive the Cygnus.  Carrying a kit to allow future replenishment of nitrogen and Oxygen
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:35 pm
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:36 pm
Frank Culbertson--the engine test failure was a "technical issue" :)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:37 pm
explaining naming of the vehicle as the Janice Voss
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:37 pm
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:39 pm
Frank Cuthbertson explaining the challenges of support: resupply, political, ETC
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:40 pm
showing video of late load of time critical payloads
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:42 pm
pics of vehicle loading
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:43 pm
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:44 pm
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:44 pm
90% chance of acceptable Wx
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:45 pm
Sarah Daugherty

90% probability of good conditions to launch

good visibility from a ways away due to conditions
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:45 pm
who will ask the first question about the test failure?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:46 pm
question #1
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:46 pm
engine #17 was involved
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:48 pm
audience
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:49 pm
a nebulous description of ensuring "proper configuration of critical components" identified as possible sources of the failure on the Orb-2 vehicle with no other details
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:50 pm
question #2 to Sarah on a weekend launch at this time of year with boaters

Mentions they actually visit the boaters

'Danger Zone' 30 nm hazard area
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:51 pm
Robert Pearlman

5000th day of continuous crewed ops on ISS today!!
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:52 pm
Dan Hartman on the phone adding the number of years on orbit, testing the maturation of hardware on orbit & the challenges to 'buy down' the risk for BEO exploration, cutting edge technology demonstrations, and experience
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:55 pm
an odd question about polluting the atlantic ocean with space trash which actually burns up...
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:55 pm
Freelance writer asking about the trash disposal from the ISS that coulgoes into the oceans adding garbage in to it, but Dan Hartman noting they choose trajectoris for vehicles so that they all completely burn up in the atmosphere.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:56 pm
another shot at the engine failure--claiming can't get into details
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:56 pm
Phone call for Frank
Notes no additional notes being offered on other customers for the Antares vehicle
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:57 pm
SpaceX 4 on Sep 12 for now
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:58 pm
Q from Irene for Dan & SPaceX launch: SpaceX on Sept 12;
RFP on CRS2: RFI sent out but will look into it
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 08:59 pm
Engine inspection was by borescope & port for access to areas of interest
Results were as expected
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 08:59 pm
post failure inspections via bore scopes and non-invasive visual inspections
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:00 pm
Frank: Looking at new profiles for re-entry, and saving fuel for others aspect of flight
Allows experiments for other users to stay longer in space.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:01 pm
Frank (on weather): they never give us 100%

5 min launch window (typical from Wallops)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:02 pm
Q from Janet: wildlife mitigation by launching in July?

A: Mitigation for species called 'Fragmites?' in place
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 09:03 pm
Orb 3 in October with 3 more launches next year
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:04 pm
Frank (on the future): 1 launch in Oct
3 next year
3 vehicles under construction
preps on-going for next 3
Building steadily

Will maintain this schedule with the traffic & schedule
Applauds NASA for pushing this
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:05 pm
Frank: 4 more days of launch window availability

Progress launch in July which can be a problem

Beyond those days: 'Let's not go there'
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:06 pm
Janet: Notes on Radio frequency deconfliction

Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:06 pm
end of coverage

PAO
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 09:07 pm
a slip to Monday will require frequency de-confliction with Cape assets but a plan is in place
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: robertross on 07/12/2014 09:09 pm
another pic of vehicle with ground crew access via a zoom boom
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Targeteer on 07/12/2014 09:09 pm
another shot at the engine failure--claiming can't get into details

Details on the failure of a 40 year old Russian engine used on a US rocket can't possibly be ITAR restricted--can they ?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Chris Bergin on 07/12/2014 09:10 pm
Thanks so much for covering guys. You both rock.

Really enjoying listening to Mr. Culbertson. Very assured.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: John44 on 07/12/2014 09:27 pm
Orbital Sciences/Cygnus-2 Pre-Launch News Conference
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8985
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: russianhalo117 on 07/12/2014 09:54 pm
another shot at the engine failure--claiming can't get into details

Details on the failure of a 40 year old Russian engine used on a US rocket can't possibly be ITAR restricted--can they ?
Since they're modernized via AeroJet Rocketdyne each upgraded engine which contain Western components result in ITAR remaining and being reapplied to them the moment AR begins work on them.
Title: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: mvpel on 07/12/2014 09:58 pm
Details on the failure of a 40 year old Russian engine used on a US rocket can't possibly be ITAR restricted--can they ?

ITAR § 120.10 Technical data.
(a) Technical data means, for purposes of this subchapter:
(1) Information, other than software as defined in §120.10(a)(4), which is required for the design, development, production, manufacture, assembly, operation, repair, testing, maintenance or modification of defense articles.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: edkyle99 on 07/12/2014 10:59 pm
As far as I'm concerned, ITAR is just a codified excuse to hide the truth.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Antares on 07/13/2014 12:34 am
Users of Russian engines have to get an EXPORT license just to call tech support back east.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Steven Pietrobon on 07/13/2014 07:44 am
Love the street signs in front of the Antares pad.

"International Space Station On-Ramp"

"Moon Ahead"
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/13/2014 09:06 am
Antares Rocket Preparation (201407120010HQ) 

The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen on launch Pad-0A, Saturday, July 12, 2014, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The launch is planned for Sunday, July 13 and will carry the Cygnus spacecraft filled with over 3,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. The Orbital-2 mission is Orbital Sciences' second contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/13/2014 09:16 am
Orbital Set to Launch Cargo Delivery Mission to International Space Station

-- Company’s Upcoming Mission Is the Second of Eight Operational CargoMissions Under Commercial Resupply Services Contract With NASA --
 
-- Mission Marks the Fourth Flight of Antares Rocket and Third Deployment of Cygnus Spacecraft --

(Dulles, VA 12 July 2014) – Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world’s leading space technology companies, today announced it is in final preparations to launch the company’s AntaresTM rocket carrying its CygnusTM cargo logistics spacecraft destined for the International Space Station (ISS). Pending completion of final vehicle testing and acceptable local weather conditions, the launch will take place on July 13 with lift-off targeted for 12:52 p.m. EDT. The launch will originate from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport located at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. The Antares medium-class rocket will boost the Cygnus spacecraft into a targeted orbit of 125 x 185 miles (200 x 300 kilometers) above the Earth, inclined at 51.6 degrees to the equator. Following in-orbit activation and testing after launch, Cygnus will rendezvous and berth with the ISS on July 16 at approximately 6:39 a.m. EDT. Live coverage of the Antares launch and Cygnus berthing with the ISS will be available on NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

“With the first operational mission successfully completed earlier this year, we are now focused on regularly scheduled cargo delivery flights to the Space Station to support NASA and the astronauts who are carrying out vital research every day,” said Mr. David W. Thompson, Orbital’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our team is focused and ready to execute another successful mission that will deliver necessary supplies to the crew aboard the Station.”

For the Orb-2 Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission, the Cygnus spacecraft is carrying 3,669 pounds (1,664 kilograms) of supplies to the Space Station, including science experiments to expand the research capability of the Expedition 40 crew members aboard the orbiting laboratory, along with crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware. Also onboard are 32 CubeSats, hardware for Japan’s JAXA Space Agency and numerous student science experiments. This mission, together with future Cygnus flights, will ensure a robust national capability to deliver critical research equipment and samples to orbit, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new scientific investigations in the only laboratory in microgravity.

Under the $1.9 billion CRS contract with NASA, Orbital will use Antares and Cygnus to deliver up to 44,000 pounds (20,000 kilograms) of cargo to the ISS over eight missions through late 2016. For each mission, NASA will manifest a variety of essential items based on ISS program needs, including food, clothing, crew supplies, spare parts and equipment, and important scientific experiments.

Orbital developed the Antares launch vehicle to provide low-cost, reliable access to space for medium-class payloads. It is the largest and most complex rocket the company has ever produced. Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) joint research and development initiative with NASA, Orbital also developed the Cygnus spacecraft, which is an advanced maneuvering vehicle that meets the stringent human-rated safety requirements for ISS operations. Together, these products showcase Orbital’s ability to apply rigorous engineering approaches and commercial business practices to significantly shorten development timelines and lower operational costs of sophisticated space systems as compared to traditional government-run programs.

About Antares
The Antares medium-class launch vehicle represents a major increase in the payload launch capability that Orbital can provide to NASA, the U.S. Air Force and commercial customers compared to its heritage small-class space launch vehicles such as Pegasus, Taurus and Minotaur. The Antares rocket can launch spacecraft weighing up to 14,000 lbs. (6,400 kg.) into low-Earth orbit, as well as lighter-weight payloads into higher-energy orbits. Orbital’s newest launcher has completed three successful missions and is currently on-ramped to both the NASA Launch Services-2 and the U.S. Air Force’s Orbital/Suborbital Program-3 contracts, enabling the two largest U.S. government space launch customers to order Antares for “right-size and right-price” launch services for medium-class spacecraft. For more information on Antares, visit http://www.orbital.com/SpaceLaunch/Antares/.

About Cygnus
Orbital developed the Cygnus cargo spacecraft as part of its COTS joint research and development initiative with NASA. Cygnus consists of a common Service Module (SM) and a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM). The SM incorporates avionics, power and propulsion systems already successfully flown aboard dozens of Orbital’s LEOStar™ and GEOStar™ satellite products. The PCM, designed and built by Thales Alenia Space under a subcontract from Orbital, is based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) used with the Space Shuttle. For more information on Cygnus, visit http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/Publications/Cygnus_fact.pdf.
 
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/13/2014 09:17 am
Antares Givien a "Go" for Launch Sunday

At a Launch Readiness Review Saturday, managers for Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, and NASA gave a “go" to proceed toward the Sunday, July 13 launch of the Orb-2 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Orbital is targeting a 12:52 p.m. EDT launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at noon.

There is a 90 percent chance of favorable weather at the time of launch.

NASA TV will broadcast a prelaunch news briefing today from the Wallops visitors center at 4:30 p.m. The briefing will be carried live on NASA TV and the agency's website at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: jacqmans on 07/13/2014 09:17 am
Mission Update – July 12, 2014

The Launch Readiness Review for the Orb-2 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station (ISS) was successfully conducted today, formally clearing Antares to launch. Pending completion of final vehicle testing and acceptable local weather conditions, the launch will take place on July 13 with lift-off targeted for 12:52 p.m. EDT. To read Orbital's "Set to Launch" news release, click here.

Antares will launch Orbital's Cygnus spacecraft carrying 1,664 kg (3,669 pounds) of supplies for the Station including research investigations, crew provisions, hardware, and science experiments from across the country. Cygnus is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Wednesday, July 16 with grapple by the Station’s robotic arm scheduled for approximately 6:39 a.m. EDT.

Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: grythumn on 07/13/2014 12:39 pm
Q from Janet: wildlife mitigation by launching in July?

A: Mitigation for species called 'Fragmites?' in place

phragmites australis, aka common reed. It is native to the area, but the european subspecies is considered an invasive species that pushes out other wetland vegetation. Phragmites control is an ongoing problem in the region. Wallops probably has a large stand of the domestic variety that get scorched during launch; post-launch fires have been common.

-Bob
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: wannamoonbase on 07/13/2014 01:32 pm
At Wallops for the launch briefing waiting for it to start.

Fantastic day out here, good energy. Feels like a very good shot seeing this thing go!!

Go Antares!

Go Cygnus!
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: Avron on 07/13/2014 02:22 pm
Did anyone see an update to the red team and value issues?
Title: Re: Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) July 13, 2014
Post by: wannamoonbase on 07/13/2014 02:48 pm
Nothing mentioned at this mornings briefing of any issues being worked.