Author Topic: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016  (Read 153134 times)

Offline .gif

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LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« on: 08/12/2015 07:05 pm »
Announced today: ULA will launch a second Cygnus cargo mission to the ISS in 2016.
http://tinyurl.com/olvc96a
« Last Edit: 03/21/2016 02:18 pm by Chris Bergin »

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #1 on: 08/12/2015 07:11 pm »
Tentatively in March 2016.  Taking GOES-R's slot.  GOES-R will get pushed back to later in the year.
« Last Edit: 08/12/2015 07:13 pm by .gif »

Online jacqmans

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #2 on: 08/12/2015 07:26 pm »
Tentatively in March 2016.  Taking GOES-R's slot.  GOES-R will get pushed back to later in the year.

What is your source for that ?

I thought ORB-5 would fly in Early 2016 from MARS with Antares....
Jacques :-)

Online ZachS09

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #3 on: 08/12/2015 07:27 pm »
Tentatively in March 2016.  Taking GOES-R's slot.  GOES-R will get pushed back to later in the year.

What is your source for that ?

I thought ORB-5 would fly in Early 2016 from MARS with Antares....

So did I; we were all convinced Antares would return to flight on March 30, but I guess we were incorrect.
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline baldusi

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #4 on: 08/12/2015 08:01 pm »
The way I read the press release, is that it might be CRS-5 or CRS-6. Nothing of what OrbitalATK or ULA stated in their pressers stated that the second Atlas V would fly on CRS-5. I guess it all depends on Anatares 230 commissioning, but back to back launches from the Cape would probably be cheaper. On the other hand, if I had to cover risks, I would make it AV, Antares, AV, Antares, just to be on the safe side if there is an anomaly on the first Antares 230 launch.

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #5 on: 08/12/2015 08:09 pm »
Tentatively in March 2016.  Taking GOES-R's slot.  GOES-R will get pushed back to later in the year.

What is your source for that ?

I thought ORB-5 would fly in Early 2016 from MARS with Antares....


Even in the announcement for Atlas V on Orb-4, Orbital mentioned that they had an option for a second Atlas V.

Quote
United Launch Alliance (ULA) has signed a contract with Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital)  (NYSE: ORB) to launch up to two cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program.

http://www.ulalaunch.com/ula-signs-contract-with-orbital-sciences.aspx


Spacenews reported that ORB-6 might also go on an Atlas

http://spacenews.com/orbital-atk-orders-second-atlas-5-leaves-door-open-for-more/


I am guessing OrbATK wants to position itself well for the upcoming CRS-2 contract as a reliable provider, and Atlas will let them put up a lot of cargo quickly without worrying about the Antares modification schedule.

Offline TrevorMonty

Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #6 on: 08/12/2015 08:59 pm »
GOES-R is NASA/ NOAA mission, the decision how to use the Atlas V may come down to NASA.

Offline Jim

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #7 on: 08/12/2015 10:33 pm »
GOES-R is NASA/ NOAA mission, the decision how to use the Atlas V may come down to NASA.

The vehicle is not NASA's.  NASA bought a ride and not a rocket.  The allocation is up to ULA. 

Offline edkyle99

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #8 on: 08/12/2015 10:41 pm »
 Perhaps the falcon dragon failure help cement this choice 

Ed Kyle

Offline woods170

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #9 on: 08/13/2015 08:16 am »
Perhaps the falcon dragon failure help cement this choice 

Ed Kyle

IMO this is unlikely. Enhanced Cygnus can be launched on the new Antares as well. Only schedule problems for the new Antares would 'force' the 'two-or-perhaps-three-in-a-row' use of Atlas V for Cygnus.

With regards to pressurized payload going up to ISS (both mass-wise and volume-wise) the loss of a Dragon is (much) less of an impact than is the loss of a Cygnus. Loss of Dragon mainly concerns loss of downmass capability and loss of unpressurized upmass capability.

Offline robertross

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #10 on: 08/13/2015 10:41 pm »
Tentatively in March 2016.  Taking GOES-R's slot.  GOES-R will get pushed back to later in the year.

What is your source for that ?

I thought ORB-5 would fly in Early 2016 from MARS with Antares....


Even in the announcement for Atlas V on Orb-4, Orbital mentioned that they had an option for a second Atlas V.

Quote
United Launch Alliance (ULA) has signed a contract with Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital)  (NYSE: ORB) to launch up to two cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program.

http://www.ulalaunch.com/ula-signs-contract-with-orbital-sciences.aspx


Spacenews reported that ORB-6 might also go on an Atlas

http://spacenews.com/orbital-atk-orders-second-atlas-5-leaves-door-open-for-more/


I am guessing OrbATK wants to position itself well for the upcoming CRS-2 contract as a reliable provider, and Atlas will let them put up a lot of cargo quickly without worrying about the Antares modification schedule.

But is that really an accurate supposition?

For NASA to rely on OrbATK's flight history to reliably launch payloads to the ISS as a criteria for CRS-2, then that history includes Atlas V, which WON'T be the vehicle to launch its payloads under CRS-2.

If they had flown the Cygnus in a RTF with the new Antares' vehicle, that would be more in line with flight history.

Of course I hope OrbATK succeeds both with Atlas V and Antares. Granted I'm an 'ISS hugger', but also wish all in industry to do well in spaceflight (to help us progress to bigger and better things, hopefully).

Offline Sesquipedalian

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #11 on: 08/14/2015 04:41 pm »
Spacenews reported that ORB-6 might also go on an Atlas

http://spacenews.com/orbital-atk-orders-second-atlas-5-leaves-door-open-for-more/

Chris G's new article clarifies the Atlas V situation (which is another reason NSF is awesome).  It looks like SpaceNews just misread the (leaked) press release.  Their article says:

Quote
Besides the mission to be announced Aug. 12, Orbital ATK will conduct “at least three more CRS missions” in 2016, one of which could be launched by a third Atlas 5, the company said.

What the press release actually says is:

Quote
“In 2016, we will carry out at least three more CRS missions:  two (or possibly three) will be launched by Antares rockets, the first of which is on a path to be ready to launch early in the year, and one more will be launched aboard Atlas V to support NASA’s need for additional cargo,” Culbertson added.

A careful rereading of the press release shows that the "at least three more" comes after the first Atlas V mission, not the second one.  The second Atlas V is one of the three 2016 missions.  There was never any third Atlas V.

This is confirmed by Chris's article:

Quote
“Our plan is just the two Atlas missions, then we’re back on Antares as our launch vehicle,” stated Mr. DeMauro.

Offline rayleighscatter

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #12 on: 12/22/2015 01:14 am »
This launch (on Atlas) will actually be ORB-6 (OA-6) not ORB-5, even though it's taking place before ORB-5 on Antares.

EDIT: And the NASA mission logo:
« Last Edit: 12/22/2015 01:40 am by rayleighscatter »

Offline Star One

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #13 on: 12/22/2015 04:07 pm »
Why as I asked in the other thread have the numbers been switched around?

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #14 on: 12/23/2015 03:49 am »
One guess is that the mission numbers were assigned with OA-5 on Antares and OA-6 on Atlas. Due to a delay with Antares, these missions swapped with Antares now flying after Atlas, but each vehicle keeping their Cygnus mission numbers.
« Last Edit: 12/23/2015 03:54 am by Steven Pietrobon »
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Online Chris Bergin

Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #15 on: 01/03/2016 08:30 pm »
Orbital ATK prepares for OA-6 Cygnus prior to Antares return - by Philip Sloss:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/01/orbital-atk-oa-6-cygnus-antares-return/
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Online jacqmans

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #16 on: 01/16/2016 11:21 am »
Jacques :-)

Offline Targeteer

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #17 on: 01/19/2016 09:01 pm »
We're busy preparing for the March 10 launch of Orbital ATK's OA-6 mission to resupply the International Space Station.

On Friday, the Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, and today the Service Module shipped out from our facility in Dulles, Virginia.

Looking forward to a great launch!
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #18 on: 01/20/2016 10:08 am »
« Last Edit: 01/20/2016 10:08 am by jacqmans »
Jacques :-)

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Re: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - Cygnus OA-6 - March 22, 2016
« Reply #19 on: 01/23/2016 08:20 am »
Jacques :-)

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