Orbital Sciences [ORB] and Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
(SpaceX) Sunday celebrated successful milestones as Orbital’s Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft successfully berthed with the International Space Station (ISS) and SpaceX launched its upgraded version of its Falcon 9 rocket.
Cygnus successfully berthed with the station Sunday around 7 a.m. EDT as part of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration mission, according to a company statement. Cygnus successfully completed its rendezvous and approach maneuvers with the ISS and was grappled and berthed with the station by the Expedition 37 astronaut crew.
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| Artist’s rendering of Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft approaching the International Space Station (ISS). Photo: Orbital. |
SpaceX’s upgraded Falcon 9 rocket launched Sunday around noon EDT from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., the company’s first launch from Vandenberg. The rocket carried MDA Corp. of Canada’s Cassiope satellite to low earth orbit (LEO), according to SpaceX spokeswoman Hannah Post. Cassiope is a small satellite space mission that will serve as a demonstrator for a new Canadian small satellite bus design and carry two advanced payloads: one for scientific experimentation and another for communications technology demonstration.
Following Wednesday’s launch on one of Orbital’s Antares rockets from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in eastern Virginia, Cygnus, on its maiden flight, completed an extensive series of in-orbit tests and orbit-raising maneuvers demonstrating its readiness to operate in close proximity to the ISS.
Final approach to the ISS began about 3 a.m. EDT Sunday, culminating with the station’s robotic arm grappling the spacecraft around 7 a.m. EDT, when it was about 10 meters away. Cygnus was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the ISS’ Harmony module, where its installation was completed just before 8:45 a.m. EDT.
Cargo unloading began Monday and a 30-day stay at the station is expected, according to Orbital. Cygnus’ original berth was supposed to take around Sept. 23 but a data format mismatch derailed those plans. NASA and Orbital eventually developed and tested a software fix, permitting a berthing attempt later in the week (Defense Daily, Sept. 24). This first Cygnus spacecraft will remain at the station until a planned Oct. 22 unberthing sends it departing for a destructive reentry over the Pacific Ocean in late October.
Cygnus carried 700 kilograms of cargo to the ISS for this COTS demonstration mission, including food, clothing and experimental equipment. The ISS crew will begin filling the cargo module with up to 800 kilograms of disposal cargo before its departure. For future missions, Cygnus has a total cargo up-mass capacity of 2,000 kilograms in its standard configuration, expanding to 2,700 kilograms in its enhanced design for later missions.
Following the successful completion of the COTS demonstration mission, Orbital will begin to carry out operational missions under NASA’s $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS). The company will deliver approximately 20,000 kilograms of cargo to the ISS on eight more Antares/Cygnus missions through 2016. Orbital said Sunday in a Twitter post that CRS missions should take about half the time to travel to the ISS compared to the COTS demo due to the 10 demos Cygnus had to perform on this mission.
Orbital Executive Vice President and General Manager of Advanced Programs Frank Culbertson also said in a Sunday Twitter post that the first CRS mission for Antares and Cygnus could take place as early as December. SpaceX also participated in NASA’s COTS program with its Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX’s last COTS launch was in May 2012, according to Post, and its most recent CRS launch was in March.
Jeffries investment bank analyst Howard Rubel said Monday in a note for investors that he believes Orbital is on the “cusp of enjoying” the financial returns from its investment in COTS and CRS. Rubel added that regular launches of the Antares rocket should underscore that the program is capable of providing launch services to a broader market, adding to Orbital’s volumes and value.