Parochial note: Dutch Space is located in my home town of Leiden, within walking distance of my office. I sometimes see tarpaulin-covered objects with a VEGA marking. I wonder if there will be any shipping containers marked CYGNUS.
Thanks, Ronsmytheiii... Nice to look at that again.
BTW, what is "Wake Shield 04"?
A Shuttle payload
More specific: a version of the Wake Shield 1-3 spacecraft. WSF-04 would have solar arrays for a longer mission endurance, but was never flown.
Thanks Jim and Gunter (?). I thought so, but didn't realize that they were apparently thinking of a much longer duration Wake Shield experiment.
I really wonder if it's worth doing another Wake Shield spacecraft. Perhaps on ISS as planned, or perhaps unmanned. If someone is able to find something that is profitable and needs to be manufactured in space, it may open up a whole new market for space.
.... Of course, some may ask, "Is this a solution in search of a problem?" Yup!
(though it is devilishly difficult to make an extremely, extremely high vacuum on Earth...)
Back on track, it's good that the UltraFlex panels are getting more use.
Cygnus Enhanced Spacecraft to Use Ultraflex™ Solar Arrays
November 2011
Orbital has selected lightweight ATK Ultraflex solar arrays to power its enhanced Cygnus cargo logistics module beginning with the fourth mission under Orbital's Cargo Resupply Services agreement with NASA to provide cargo logistics services to the International Space Station. The enhanced Cygnus variant incorporates a larger pressurized cargo module that can carry up to 2700 kg of crew supplies, spares and scientific experiments to the ISS. Measuring more than 11 feet in diameter, the Ultraflex arrays will provide the same power as the arrays to be used in the first three Cygnus missions but with significantly reduced mass.
http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices
More logistics capability for ISS, excellent!
From the just released Commercial Spaceflight - 60 Day Report, Issue 4:
Currently, Orbital is planning the maiden launch of their newly named Antares launch vehicle (previously referred to as “Taurus II”) in late February or March 2012, and the COTS demonstration flight to the ISS in April. NASA amended the OSC SAA last year to add a risk-reduction test flight of OSC's launch vehicle prior to the Cygnus Demonstration flight. At present, the initial Antares launch vehicles are being integrated at the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia. The engines were recently mounted to the first stage in preparation for integrated vehicle hot fire testing on the launch pad. The new launch complex at WFF is nearly complete and is the pacing item for the upcoming test firing and demonstration flights.http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/610831main_Dec_2011_60_Day_Report-508.pdf
Orbital presser:
New Cygnus Photo Release from Orbital Sciences Corporation:
Orbital Sciences Corporation released the attached images of the first two Cygnus™ spacecraft service modules in production at the company’s Dulles, VA Satellite Manufacturing Facility (SMF). The service module on the left will carry out the program’s demonstration flight to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. The service module on the right will carry out the first of eight cargo resupply missions under Orbital’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA, also scheduled for later this year. A third Cygnus service module (not shown) is also undergoing integration in a separate clean room facility at Orbital’s Dulles facility.
Cygnus is an advanced maneuvering spacecraft being developed by Orbital to demonstrate cargo delivery services under a NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement. In addition to the COTS development and demonstration program, Orbital will utilize the Cygnus to perform the ISS resupply flights under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. This NASA contract authorizes eight missions between 2012 and 2015 carrying approximately 20,000 kg of cargo to the ISS.
In the photo, two service modules are being integrated and assembled in a class 100,000 clean room prior to the beginning of environmental testing, the last major phase of the spacecraft development and testing prior to shipment to the Wallops Island, VA launch site, where it will be integrated with the Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) that was delivered in 2011. The Cygnus service module on the left will begin its thermal vacuum testing in February, followed by mechanical environmental tests one month later. The banner seen on the wall above the Cygnus service modules is a full-scale depiction of the complete Cygnus system with its solar arrays deployed.
Other photos, images and video animation of the launch sequence of Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft and the Antares launch vehicle that will carry the Cygnus into orbit are available at:
http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices/ImagesMultimedia/ http://www.orbital.com/Antares/ImagesMultimedia/
Very cool, would love to see the manufacturing of the service modules up close (hint hint to the orbital guys)
From http://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield
Cmdr_Hadfield Chris Hadfield
in the Dome simulator, grappling the Cygnus resupply ship using Canadarm2 (with crewmate @AstroMarshburn) twitpic.com/8767gg
4 hours ago
The same dome simulator we used to use for shuttle rendezvous/robotics training. The cockpits could be wheeled in and out. Now, of course, the shuttle cockpit has been retired and the station cupola is in there semi-permanently.
Three quick updates on Cygnus:
The spacecraft completed its Electromagnetic compatibility tests this weeked. These tests included self-interference, interference *to* ISS systems, and interference *from* ISS emissions. It passed, as expected.
The COTS Demo flight Service Module is being prepped for TVAC (see picture).
The ORB-3 (third CRS operational flight) Service Module structure is at Wallops for a fit check with the COTS Demo Pressurized cargo Module later this week.
Must resist linking recent XKCD concerning white balance...
Glad to hear things are progressing, can not wait to see them attached to the ISS!
Must resist linking recent XKCD concerning white balance...
Hey! What do you expect from a &@## BlackBerry camera!...
Three quick updates on Cygnus:
The spacecraft completed its Electromagnetic compatibility tests this weeked. These tests included self-interference, interference *to* ISS systems, and interference *from* ISS emissions. It passed, as expected.
The COTS Demo flight Service Module is being prepped for TVAC (see picture).
The ORB-3 (third CRS operational flight) Service Module structure is at Wallops for a fit check with the COTS Demo Pressurized cargo Module later this week.
Thanks for the update Sir!
Must resist linking recent XKCD concerning white balance...
Hey! What do you expect from a &@## BlackBerry camera!...
Hold on there, here is a retouched version
Hold on there, here is a retouched version
Wait, wait!... can you do the same with this one, taken this morning?...
Hold on there, here is a retouched version
Wait, wait!... can you do the same with this one, taken this morning?...
You know, there should be options on your blackberry to adjust the white balance. There is on mine, and I've got an old one.
Wait, wait!... can you do the same with this one, taken this morning?...
That's in or out?
Just in, takes a couple of days to make all the connections, then a couple more to do some open-air tests, then you start to pump down, then a couple weeks of cycles/plateaus, then a day or so back to ambient.
(though it is devilishly difficult to make an extremely, extremely high vacuum on Earth...)