Author: Steven Siceloff

Here are a few photos from this morning’s rollout of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V carrying Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft. The rocket and spacecraft were moved to the pad at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station adjacent to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft has been named Deke Slayton in honor of the late Mercury astronaut and commercial spaceflight pioneer. Rollout photo credits: NASA/ Kim Shiflett. Photo of S.S. Deke Slayton II: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

The prelaunch news briefing for the Orbital ATK CRS-4 mission is airing now on NASA TV. You can tune in to NASA TV on your television or watch the live stream below.

 

We just posted a couple in-depth looks at the Cygnus mission and the processing here in Florida to prepare the spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for launch, along with a short quiz to test your knowledge of Orbital ATK’s CRS-4 flight. The quiz is available at http://missionquiz.ksc.nasa.gov/

At 7:25 a.m. EST, countdown clocks began ticking from the T-11 hour mark toward the launch of Orbital ATK CRS-4. A series of planned holds will result in the liftoff of Orbital ATK’s S.S. Deke Slayton II Cygnus spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 5:55:45 p.m. on Thursday. This is the company’s fourth scheduled cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station under the agency’s Commercial Resupply Services contract.

There is a 60 percent chance for favorable launch weather at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida.  NASA Television NTV-2 is airing a NASA Social for the Orbital ATK CRS-4 mission. You can watch the social streaming at the bottom of this post.

At 10:15 a.m., NASA Television NTV-1 and NTV-3 will air an ISS Expedition 45 live event with the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, ISS Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren of NASA.

NASA Television will provide live and streaming internet coverage of two news briefings from Kennedy Space Center. News media wanting to remotely participate in the news conferences should call the Kennedy Space Center newsroom at 321-867-2468.

At 1 p.m., an ISS Science, Research and Technology briefing will discuss science and research launching to the space station. Participants will be:

• Kirt Costello, deputy chief scientist, International Space Station Program Science Office, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
• Ken Shields, director of Operations and Education Outreach, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS)
• Brian Motil, principal investigator, Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE), NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
• Talbot Jaeger, chief technology officer, NovaWurks, and principal investigator, NanoRacks-MicroSat-SIMPL (Satlet Initial-Mission Proofs and Lessons)
• Andrew Petro, program executive, Small Spacecraft Technology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
• Eleanor McCormack, principal, St. Thomas More Cathedral School, St. Thomas More (STM) Sat-1

At 2 p.m., the Prelaunch News conference will be held. Participants will be:

• Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program manager, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
• Frank Culbertson, president, Space Systems Group, Orbital ATK
• Vernon Thorpe, program manager for NASA missions, United Launch Alliance
• Todd McNamara, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron

Today’s NASA Social event from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will set the stage for tomorrow’s launch of the fourth cargo resupply mission by Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft. A series of speakers will detail different aspects of the mission along with the research and accomplishments of the International Space Station during presentations that will begin at 9 a.m. and run through 10:30 a.m. EST. Although the event will take place at Kennedy, it will also be aired on NASA TV’s Education channel, which you can watch at http://go.nasa.gov/1B8xmT9 or in the streaming window below.

Forecasters from the Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron continue to call for a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for liftoff of Orbital ATK CRS-4 on Thursday evening. Launch of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft – seen here during processing – is targeted for 5:55 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. If the launch does not occur on Dec. 3, the next launch opportunity would be at 5:33 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4.

At 9 a.m. today, officials will hold a Launch Readiness Review at CCAFS and, pending no issues, formalize the launch date.

Launch coverage on NASA Television and on this NASA Blog will begin at 4:30 p.m. A Thursday liftoff will result in the Cygnus spacecraft arriving at the space station on Sunday, Dec. 6. NASA crew members Kjell Lindgren and Scott Kelly will use the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to reach out and capture Cygnus at about 5:30 a.m. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

The launch day forecast remains at 60 percent “go” for the liftoff of an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft aboard an Atlas V rocket Thursday at 5:55 p.m. EST. The primary concerns are cumulus clouds, disturbed weather and thick clouds at launch time. Our launch coverage on the NASA Blog and on NASA TV will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Flying from Space Launch Complex 41, the rocket and spacecraft have a 30-minute window to be able to launch and meet up with the International Space Station in orbit. The Cygnus, an enhanced version carrying more materials than the standard models that flew before, is loaded with more than 7,300 pounds of equipment, supplies and experiments for the station and its crew. Some of the Cygnus payloads will contribute directly to research by astronaut Scott Kelly during his one-year mission on the station. This flight also includes other science cargo include a microsatellite deployer and the first microsatellite to be deployed from the station.

You can read more about the mission here.

Launch week at Kennedy will be as busy as ever heading toward the Dec. 3 liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft stuffed with 7,300 pounds of supplies and equipment for the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 5:55 p.m. EST. The launch will be shown live on NASA TV and covered here on the NASA Blog from the launch site beginning at 4:30 p.m.

There are numerous briefings and activities planned leading up to launch. The details can be found here. Here’s a quick look at the briefings on tap for next week, too. All will be shown on NASA TV which can be streamed at www.nasa.gov/ntv:

ISS SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PANEL ON NASA TV

Wednesday, Dec. 2: An ISS Science, Research and Technology briefing will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants will be:

• Kirt Costello, deputy chief scientist, International Space Station Program Science Office, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
• Ken Shields, director of Operations and Education Outreach, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS)
• Dr. Brian Motil, principle investigator, Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE), NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
• Talbot Jaeger, chief technology officer, NovaWurks, and principle investigator, Nanoracks-MicroSat-SIMPL (Satlet Initial-Mission Proofs and Lessons)
• Andrew Petro, program executive, Small Spacecraft Technology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
• Eleanor McCormack, principal, St. Thomas More Cathedral School, St. Thomas More (STM)Sat-1

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE ON NASA TV

Wednesday, Dec. 2: A prelaunch status will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 2 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants will be:

• Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program manager
• Frank Culbertson, Jr., Space Systems Group president, Orbital ATK
• Vernon Thorpe, program manager for NASA missions, United Launch Alliance
• Todd McNamara, launch weather officer, 45^th Weather Squadron

POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE ON NASA TV

Thursday, Dec. 3: A post-launch news conference will occur at about 8 p.m. and NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants will be:

• Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program manager
• Frank Culbertson, Jr., Space Systems Group president, Orbital ATK
• Vernon Thorpe, program manager for NASA missions, United Launch Alliance