http://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/release.asp?prid=112NASA Selects Orbital ATK for New 8-Year Contract to Deliver Cargo to the International Space Station-- CRS-2 Contract Includes Initial Order for Six Cargo Missions to ISS Beginning in 2019 ---- Company Offers NASA Flexible Mission Options with Cygnus Spacecraft Capable of Launching Aboard Antares and Atlas Rockets --Dulles, Virginia 14 January 2016 – Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced it has been selected by NASA for a second contract to provide commercial cargo delivery and disposal services to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract, the company was awarded six initial cargo missions, valued at about $1.2-$1.5 billion, to be carried out beginning in 2019. Depending on the spacecraft/launch vehicle configurations used, these initial missions will deliver approximately 22,500-26,500 kilograms (or 49,000-58,000 pounds) of supplies and equipment to the orbiting laboratory. Later in the contract, NASA may award additional missions for the 2021-2024 period based on operational requirements of the ISS.For the upcoming CRS-2 missions, Orbital ATK’s Cygnus™ spacecraft can be carried into orbit by either the company’s upgraded Antares™ launch vehicle or United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket. This option enables NASA to better tailor future missions to meet specific ISS operational requirements, as well as demonstrating the flexibility of the Cygnus spacecraft for cargo supply to the ISS.“We are grateful for NASA’s continued confidence in our ability to provide reliable and affordable commercial cargo transportation services to the International Space Station,” said David W. Thompson, Orbital ATK’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “With our flexible cargo delivery system now up and running, our team is well prepared to deliver essential supplies to the International Space Station for years to come.”Orbital ATK has already delivered approximately 7,300 kilograms (or 16,000 pounds) of cargo to the ISS during four successful missions since 2013. Its next CRS mission (called “OA-6”) is scheduled for launch in March aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The OA-6 mission will again utilize an enhanced Cygnus spacecraft capable of carrying over 40% more cargo by incorporating a larger pressurized cargo module than the previous design. For the upcoming mission, Cygnus will deliver approximately 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds) of cargo to the ISS.“This second CRS contract award reinforces Orbital ATK’s role as a trusted partner to NASA with a proven cargo delivery and disposal service that continues to support the important work being performed aboard the ISS,” said Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK’s Space Systems Group. “Our goal for both CRS-1 and CRS-2 remains unchanged, which is to support the needs of the crew members aboard the ISS with 100 percent mission success and schedule certainty.”For all upcoming missions under the CRS-1 and CRS-2 contracts, Orbital ATK will use the enhanced Cygnus design. In addition to its larger pressurized cargo module that allows increased cargo capacity, the enhanced Cygnus incorporates high-performance UltraFlex™ solar arrays designed and manufactured by the company’s Space Components Division in Goleta, California.“By utilizing the flexibility of our Cygnus spacecraft, combined with a mixed fleet of launch vehicles, Orbital ATK is providing NASA a complete portfolio of mission options to fulfill their cargo delivery needs,” said Culbertson.CRS-2 missions to be launched aboard the company’s upgraded Antares rocket will originate from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) located at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. With support from NASA and Orbital ATK, MARS has completed repairs and upgrades to the Pad 0A launch complex for compatibility with the new Antares configuration. The upgraded Antares will be powered by dual RD-181 main stage engines and a modified first stage core structure that provide increased lift capacity to enable greater payloads as compared to the original Antares design. “The upgraded Antares is currently undergoing integration with the new RD-181 engines fully installed into the first stage of the rocket,” said Scott Lehr, President of Orbital ATK’s Flight Systems Group. “We remain on schedule for Antares launches to resume in the second quarter of 2016.”
Quote from: yg1968 on 01/15/2016 05:02 pmDuring the CRS-2 press conference, it was mentionned that Orbital/ATK has the option of bringing up a spacecraft with unpressurized cargo only. What might that look like? Like half a Cygnus with one end missing?http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/cygnus-ucm.htmBasically the Cygnus service module with an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier on it.
During the CRS-2 press conference, it was mentionned that Orbital/ATK has the option of bringing up a spacecraft with unpressurized cargo only. What might that look like? Like half a Cygnus with one end missing?
That could bring one huge ORU! Or a whole module ;-)
BTW, the numbers according to their press release were 4,400kg of cargo on an Atlas V. Have they bid the four segment Cygnus?
Quote from: arachnitect on 01/15/2016 05:25 pmQuote from: yg1968 on 01/15/2016 05:02 pmDuring the CRS-2 press conference, it was mentionned that Orbital/ATK has the option of bringing up a spacecraft with unpressurized cargo only. What might that look like? Like half a Cygnus with one end missing?http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/cygnus-ucm.htmBasically the Cygnus service module with an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier on it.Except, that the unpressurized Cygnus of the CRS-2 contract would have the circular solar arrays of the enhanced Cygnus.
Incidentally, this Orbital/ATK press release also belongs in this thread:Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 01/15/2016 04:37 amhttp://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/release.asp?prid=112NASA Selects Orbital ATK for New 8-Year Contract to Deliver Cargo to the International Space Station-- CRS-2 Contract Includes Initial Order for Six Cargo Missions to ISS Beginning in 2019 ---- Company Offers NASA Flexible Mission Options with Cygnus Spacecraft Capable of Launching Aboard Antares and Atlas Rockets --Dulles, Virginia 14 January 2016 – Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced it has been selected by NASA for a second contract to provide commercial cargo delivery and disposal services to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract, the company was awarded six initial cargo missions, valued at about $1.2-$1.5 billion, to be carried out beginning in 2019. Depending on the spacecraft/launch vehicle configurations used, these initial missions will deliver approximately 22,500-26,500 kilograms (or 49,000-58,000 pounds) of supplies and equipment to the orbiting laboratory. Later in the contract, NASA may award additional missions for the 2021-2024 period based on operational requirements of the ISS.
http://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/release.asp?prid=112NASA Selects Orbital ATK for New 8-Year Contract to Deliver Cargo to the International Space Station-- CRS-2 Contract Includes Initial Order for Six Cargo Missions to ISS Beginning in 2019 ---- Company Offers NASA Flexible Mission Options with Cygnus Spacecraft Capable of Launching Aboard Antares and Atlas Rockets --Dulles, Virginia 14 January 2016 – Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced it has been selected by NASA for a second contract to provide commercial cargo delivery and disposal services to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract, the company was awarded six initial cargo missions, valued at about $1.2-$1.5 billion, to be carried out beginning in 2019. Depending on the spacecraft/launch vehicle configurations used, these initial missions will deliver approximately 22,500-26,500 kilograms (or 49,000-58,000 pounds) of supplies and equipment to the orbiting laboratory. Later in the contract, NASA may award additional missions for the 2021-2024 period based on operational requirements of the ISS.
Quote from: Skyrocket on 01/15/2016 06:33 pmQuote from: arachnitect on 01/15/2016 05:25 pmQuote from: yg1968 on 01/15/2016 05:02 pmDuring the CRS-2 press conference, it was mentionned that Orbital/ATK has the option of bringing up a spacecraft with unpressurized cargo only. What might that look like? Like half a Cygnus with one end missing?http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/cygnus-ucm.htmBasically the Cygnus service module with an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier on it.Except, that the unpressurized Cygnus of the CRS-2 contract would have the circular solar arrays of the enhanced Cygnus. And a different carrier.
At least Antares 1x0 to 2x0 and probably 3x0. And then you have the new segmented solid LV project.
Some captures from the presentation.NASA. We don't think we could have lost another one. We have contingency supplies. For CRS-2 its about the same. A little more oversight for reliability and launching on time. A lot of complaints of the delays which is a big cost expense for the payloads. Station was prepared. Commercial payloads hurt more. Redundancy in CRS2. We did not overbuy. Capability to add missions if we need to. Launch on need capability. Bring up another vehicle quickly. Right now go with the missions we have if everything went according to plan. Have an ability to surge.
We did receive our first CRS2 mission order in the fourth quarter. This year, from a financial standpoint, the overall performance of the combined CRS program will continue to be really dominated by CRS1.It will probably be something like 85% or 90% from a revenue standpoint CRS1 and 10% or 15% CRS2 this year. There will be a crossover point sometime either very late this year, early next year where instantaneously CRS2 revenue will equal CRS1 but the story for this year will continue to be dominated by CRS1. We expect more clarity and hopefully more orders under CRS2 later this year. But for the time being, we are underway with our first CRS2 mission and I don't know what NASA has done with the other supplier.We are still planning for three missions this year with the first of which is coming up here in about 10 days and two missions next year. Those are all CRS1 missions.The final CRS1 mission is expected in early 2019 and the first CRS2 mission is expected that year as well. Beyond that, we will have to wait to see what NASA's needs are. We are assuming about two missions per year 2020 and beyond but we don't have clear visibility just yet to what the needs are going to be at the end of the decade and through the early years of the next decade.And just over the next 9 to 12 months we will deliver 15 or 16 tons of cargo to the space station.
Orbital ATK’s Frank Culberson says NASA has exercised the first of six Cygnus missions on its CRS-2 contract; to launch in 2019 on Antares.
Culbertson said that Orbital ATK plans to use only the Antares for the foreseeable future. That includes the four remaining missions on its original Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA, including the OA-8 mission, as well as the six missions on its CRS-2 follow-on contract awarded last year. NASA has given an authorization to proceed with the first of those six, which he said is expected to launch some time in 2019.
In the Space Systems Group, we conducted the OA-7 cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station for NASA, along with the associated science experiments and micro-satellite deployments from the Cygnus spacecraft. The next Cygnus vehicle, the OA-8 spacecraft is complete and ready to launch.The Antares rocket as well as the Cygnus spacecraft that will launch on the next cargo mission to the space station and now essentially built and tested and ready for cargo loading at Wallops Island launch site.We were in our on schedule to carry those out this month but I think NASA is going to delay that probably until October, in order to provide a full load of cargo. There's one particular item spare part or subsystem for the space station that they like us to carry on this mission and that cargo element is going to pace the launch.It's running a bit later than previously expected. As a result, I think it now is unlikely that we will carry out two more cargo launches this year. I think we'll do on in the early fourth quarter and another one in the early first quarter of next year instead of the original plan which had called for one this quarter and one in the final quarter of the year.But the hardware is in good shape and ready to go. And production and integration in test of both the Antares rocket and the Cygnus spacecraft for the upcoming mission have proceeded very smoothly. So, we're looking forward to that launch as soon as all the cargo is ready to go.With regard to the CRS part of the question no, we didn't receive any CRS2 orders in the second quarter.
Jeff Foust@jeff_foustVern Thorp, ULA: we are in discussions with Orbital ATK about flying more Cygnus missions on Atlas 5. #vonbraun
ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/20/2018Common Communications for Visiting Vehicles (C2V2) Checkout: This morning, a checkout of the C2V2 system was performed in support of the Orbital-ATK Cygnus (OA-9) mission which will utilize the C2V2 system for approach and capture for the first time. The test verified command capability from MCC-H (Houston), MCC-D (Dulles for Orbital) and from on board via the Portable Computer System (PCS). Ground teams are reviewing the results of the checkout.
Bob Richards of Northrop Grumman: we’re always upgrading Cygnus, including now the capability to plug into station’s network and do experiments inside the Cygnus. #ISSRDC