The twin solar arrays on the side of Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft are to deploy shortly as the spacecraft continues to travel through space on its way to the International Space Station.
Author: Steven Siceloff
A Closer Look at the Science of CRS-6
The Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft is coasting through space tonight an hour after launch. The two solar arrays on the Cygnus are to unfurl later tonight. Among the 7,500 pounds of experiments, gear and supplies aboard the Cygnus spacecraft now flying to the space station are several research efforts involving different areas of study. For instance, the Strata-1 project, above, will see how the regolith – or soil – on asteroids and other bodies with virtually no gravity behave in space. Another project called Gecko Grippers, shown below, are testing an adhesive method inspired by the microscopic hairs on a gecko’s feet. There is a lot more to both of the projects and others packed inside the Cygnus and you can read about them here.
Launch Replay Now Available
Check out a replay of the Orbital ATK CRS-6 launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V as reported by NASA TV.
A Flawless Liftoff
Tonight’s launch punctuated a clean countdown for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft. The two solar arrays on the Cygnus will open in about an hour, but right now the spacecraft is exactly where it needs to be and is in position to catch up to the International Space Station for a rendezvous and berthing Saturday morning.
Cygnus Flying Free
Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft is now flying on its own with 3 1/2 tons of experiments, equipment and supplies destined for the crew of the International Space Station.
Centaur Engine Cutoff
The single RL-10 engine of the Centaur stage has shut down on schedule. Standing by for separation of Cygnus.
One Minute Left in Centaur Burn
The Centaur upper stage will continue to burn another minutes to finalize the Cygnus on its orbit. A few minutes later, the Cygnus will separate from the upper stage and pursue the space station on its own.
Speed Continues to Increase for Centaur/Cygnus
The single RL-10 engine on the Centaur upper stage continues to burn its hydrogen and oxygen propellants as the stage and attached Cygnus spacecraft continue to pick up speed on their way to orbital velocity. Down range more than 1,600 miles now, the spacecraft and rocket stage just passed 12,000 mph.
10,065+ Mph
The Centaur continues to push the Cygnus spacecraft higher and faster. The two are moving faster than 10,000 mph and are more than 205 miles above the planet. They are more than 1,000 miles downrange of the Florida spaceport.
21 Minutes to Orbit
The launch phase, which is going very smoothly, will take 21 minutes to complete. An hour and half after launch, commands will be given to deploy the Cygnus spacecraft’s UltraFlex solar arrays that will recharge the batteries.