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Orbital's Antares/Cygnus ORB-D Processing Flow Updates
by
Chris Bergin
on 06 May, 2013 21:38
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#1
by
anik
on 22 May, 2013 20:44
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As per Michael Suffredini, the launch is planned on September 12th.
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#2
by
newpylong
on 11 Jul, 2013 00:40
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#3
by
Lurker Steve
on 11 Jul, 2013 13:23
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The schedule puzzles me a bit. If LADEE isn't scheduled to launch until Sept 6-10, isn't there still room for ORB-D to launch in late August and still prepare the range for the LADEE launch more than a week later ?
Why would LADEE need exclusive access to the range pre-launch ? Or does Cygnus need the range assets while performing the pre-berthing maneuvers required by the COTS-D milestones ?
Is the CBM port on the ISS free all this time ?
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#4
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 11 Jul, 2013 14:33
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The schedule puzzles me a bit. If LADEE isn't scheduled to launch until Sept 6-10, isn't there still room for ORB-D to launch in late August and still prepare the range for the LADEE launch more than a week later ?
Why would LADEE need exclusive access to the range pre-launch ? Or does Cygnus need the range assets while performing the pre-berthing maneuvers required by the COTS-D milestones ?
Is the CBM port on the ISS free all this time ?
Nope, there's HTV-4 (launch August 3, currently planned for unberthing on September 4). Of course such ingress schedules can be jiggled around....
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#5
by
Antares
on 11 Jul, 2013 16:33
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LADEE probably doesn't want to be stacked at the pad with a large launch vehicle in flight above it.
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#6
by
russianhalo117
on 11 Jul, 2013 23:38
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LINK:
http://www.nasa.gov/content/orbital-sciences-targeting-september-launch-to-station/#.Ud_qGxYnL8sOrbital Sciences Targeting September Launch To Station
July 11, 2013
Orbital Sciences, one of NASA’s two partners participating in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, announced it is now targeting a mid-September launch window for its demonstration flight to the International Space Station. Orbital will launch its Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard the Antares rocket between Sept. 14-19 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. It will spend several days heading toward the International Space Station where it will perform a series of checkout maneuvers, ensuring it can safely enter the keep-out zone of the orbiting complex. After those tests have been passed, Cygnus will proceed for an attempted rendezvous with the space station and will be captured by the crew on board. The rendezvous is targeted for Sept. 22.
It is a busy time for the Wallops range. NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is scheduled to launch from Sept. 6-10. LADEE is a robotic mission that will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the lunar atmosphere, conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust.
After successful completion of a COTS demonstration mission to the station, Orbital will begin conducting eight planned cargo resupply flights to the orbiting laboratory through NASA's $1.9 billion CRS contract with the company.
NASA initiatives, such as COTS, are helping to develop a robust U.S. commercial space transportation industry with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. NASA's Commercial Crew Program also is working with commercial space partners to develop capabilities to launch U.S. astronauts from American soil in the next few years.
For more information on the Orbital flight to the space station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/orbitalArticle Image Caption:
WALLOPS ISLAND, Va.--NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corporation launched its Antares rocket at 5 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 21, from the new Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Image Credit: NASA/Chris Perry
Image LINK to Above Caption:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/8674655959/in/set-72157633198376352
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#7
by
Chris Bergin
on 16 Aug, 2013 15:06
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Orbital Sciences @OrbitalSciences
COTS Demo Mission on Sept 15 takes place about 12:00 noon and moves about 20 min. earlier per day if the schedule slips.
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#8
by
psloss
on 16 Aug, 2013 15:59
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FWIW, there's a post FRR briefing tentatively up on the NASA TV schedule.
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#9
by
Salo
on 17 Aug, 2013 18:55
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http://www.orbital.com/Antares-Cygnus/Orbital Updates Schedule for COTS Demonstration MissionAugust 2013
Orbital Sciences Corporation is targeting September 15 as the first opportunity to conduct the Antares launch of our Cygnus spacecraft for the COTS Demonstration Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) originating from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. In the event that weather or other operational factors require the date to shift, the company will seek to carry out the launch no later than September 19. Currently, the Antares rocket for the COTS Demonstration Mission is completing testing at the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) at Wallops and will soon begin integration with the Cygnus spacecraft. Orbital anticipates that it will roll out the Antares rocket with the integrated Cygnus spacecraft to Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on or about September 11 to be ready for a September 15 launch.
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#10
by
Prober
on 17 Aug, 2013 19:21
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http://www.orbital.com/Antares-Cygnus/
Orbital Updates Schedule for COTS Demonstration Mission
August 2013
Orbital Sciences Corporation is targeting September 15 as the first opportunity to conduct the Antares launch of our Cygnus spacecraft for the COTS Demonstration Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) originating from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. In the event that weather or other operational factors require the date to shift, the company will seek to carry out the launch no later than September 19. Currently, the Antares rocket for the COTS Demonstration Mission is completing testing at the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) at Wallops and will soon begin integration with the Cygnus spacecraft. Orbital anticipates that it will roll out the Antares rocket with the integrated Cygnus spacecraft to Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on or about September 11 to be ready for a September 15 launch.
Why did they pick Sept. 11th. ? Why not the 10th or the 12th.?
Hope Orbital is not after good press that day.
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#11
by
Lars_J
on 17 Aug, 2013 21:07
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Exactly what is wrong with rolling out a rocket on Sept 11, Prober?
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#12
by
Kabloona
on 17 Aug, 2013 21:18
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Hope Orbital is not after good press that day.
I doubt they care about good press until after (successful) launch and Cygnus mission.
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#13
by
Lurker Steve
on 18 Aug, 2013 00:28
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Exactly what is wrong with rolling out a rocket on Sept 11, Prober?
Exactly. It's not exactly a national holiday, and people have work to do.
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#14
by
newpylong
on 18 Aug, 2013 02:06
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An American company attempting to launch the United States' second capability for getting equipment to the ISS...
That is a pretty good tribute to 9/11 in my mind.
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#15
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Aug, 2013 21:25
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COTS Demonstration Mission Schedule Update (as of August 22, 2013)
August 2013
Following a planning and coordination meeting held yesterday, August 21,
Orbital and NASA have identified September 17, 2013 as the targeted launch date for the COTS Demonstration Mission to the International Space Station. The launch of Orbital's Antares rocket carrying the company's Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft will originate from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport launch pad 0A located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.
Orbital's Antares team is targeting a launch time of 11:16 a.m., which is at the opening of an available 15-minute launch window.http://www.orbital.com/Antares-Cygnus/
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#16
by
douglas100
on 22 Aug, 2013 21:44
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I'm surprised that the launch window is so long.
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#17
by
sdsds
on 23 Aug, 2013 00:37
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There was some good discussion of trajectories on the A-One thread:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=30921.105If a dogleg is part of the flight plan anyway, then ... can the length of the window be attributed to adjusting when the dogleg turn takes place, i.e. can the launch vehicle use that to fly back into the plane of the ISS orbit?
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#18
by
Chris Bergin
on 26 Aug, 2013 13:14
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#19
by
Chris Bergin
on 27 Aug, 2013 21:03
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MEDIA ADVISORY M13-139
NASA to Preview Orbital Sciences Flight to Space Station
NASA will host a televised news conference at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 4, to preview the upcoming test flight of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.
The news conference will originate from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at the conclusion of a meeting in which senior NASA managers, space station partners and Orbital Sciences officials will evaluate the spacecraft's readiness for flight. Cygnus is scheduled for launch Tuesday, Sept. 17, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Briefing participants are:
-- Michael Suffredini, International Space Station program manager
-- Alan Lindenmoyer, Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program manager
-- Frank Culbertson, Orbital Sciences Corp. executive vice president
-- Courtenay McMillan, NASA flight director
The briefing will be broadcast live on NASA Television and on the agency's website.