Orbital Sciences’ [ORB] Cygnus spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and approach maneuvers with the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday, according to a company statement.
After Cygnus was launched July 13 from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility (WFF) on the eastern shore of Virginia, it completed a series of thruster firings and other maneuvers, bringing the spacecraft in close proximity to ISS. Final approach to the station began around 3 a.m. EDT Wednesday, culminating with the station’s robotic arm grappling the spacecraft at 6:36 a.m. EDT, when Cygnus was about 30 feet from ISS. Cygnus was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the ISS’ Harmony module where its installation was completed shortly before 10 a.m. EDT.
Cygnus will remain berthed at ISS for approximately 30 days before departing with an estimated 2,800 pounds of disposable cargo. Including a 2013 demonstration mission, this is the third berthing with ISS by a Cygnus spacecraft. Under a $1.9 billion Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA, Orbital will use its Antares launch vehicle and Cygnus to perform eight mission to ISS, including the current mission, through 2016.