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Good morning from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At nearby Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, topped by the Orbital ATK Cygnus module, stands awaiting liftoff at 11:11 a.m. EDT. There is a 30-minute window of opportunity for launch today. Weather is expected to be favorable at launch time.

The Orbital ATK CRS-7 mission will deliver more than 7,600 pounds of science experiments, equipment and crew supplies on this commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station.

All countdown activities continue on schedule. Here are the major milestones remaining in the countdown as the launch team works toward launch at 11:11 a.m. EDT:
10:37 a.m. – Begin 30-minute planned hold at T-4 minutes
10:41 a.m. – Weather briefing
11:07 a.m. – Countdown resumes at T-4 minutes
11:11 a.m. – Launch

Check out this video for a preview of the Orbital ATK CRS-7 mission. The Orbital ATK Cygnus pressurized cargo module is packed with science experiments, supplies and hardware for delivery to the International Space Station on CRS-7. Join us at 10 a.m. for updates from the countdown. Liftoff remains scheduled for 11:11 a.m. EDT.

If you’re in the Space Coast area and wondering where to watch the liftoff, take a look at https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/viewing.html for suggested local viewing areas.

But if you can’t watch in person, check out the world’s first live 360-degree stream of a rocket launch! You’ll find it on the NASA Television YouTube channel starting 10 minutes before liftoff at http://youtube.com/nasatelevision.

(Note: not all browsers support viewing 360 videos. YouTube supports playback of 360-degree videos on computers using Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera browsers. Viewers may use the YouTube app to view the launch on a smart phone. Those who own virtual reality headsets will be able to look around and experience the view as if they were actually standing on the launch pad.)
Learn more about the live 360 stream

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket set to launch the Orbital ATK CRS-7 commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station moved to the launch pad yesterday at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Today’s liftoff remains scheduled for 11:11 a.m. EDT at the opening of a half-hour launch window.

Join us right here starting at 10 a.m. for updates from the countdown!

Meteorologists with the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron are expecting very promising conditions for tomorrow’s planned launch of the Orbital ATK CRS-7 mission aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The forecast calls for temperatures of 75-76° F with on-shore winds peaking below 10 knots during the countdown. Forecasters predict a 90 percent chance of “go” conditions at the 11:11 a.m. EDT launch time, with the possibility of cumulus clouds posing the primary concern.

NASA commercial cargo provider Orbital ATK is on track for its seventh commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for 11:11 a.m. EDT Tuesday at the start of a 30-minute launch window. Launching on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft will carry more than 7,600 pounds of science research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory in support of the crew members.

NASA Television will provide multiple broadcasts around launch activities. These events will also stream live on the agency’s website at www.nasa.gov/live. Today, NASA TV will air a prelaunch news conference at 10:30 a.m. 

The first “What’s on Board” science briefing begins at 1 p.m. Participants will be:

• Tara Ruttley of NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Dr. Mike Roberts of CASIS will provide a science overview of what’s on board Cygnus.
• Howard Levine and Bryan Onate, both of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will discuss the Advanced Plant Habitat.
• Sourav Sinha, Oconolinx, will discuss ADCs in Microgravity.
• Henry Martin of NanoRacks and Davide Masutti of the Von Karman Institute will discuss CubeSats including the QB50.
• Julian Rubinfien, student, and Scott Copeland of Boeing, will discuss Julian’s winning experiment for Genes in Space.

The second “What’s on Board” briefing will air at 2 p.m. featuring Joe Fust, United Launch Alliance and Paul Escalera, Orbital ATK

Our launch day coverage of the Cygnus launch begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday on NASA TV and on NASA’s Launch Blog at http://blogs.nasa.gov/orbital. Learn more about the Orbital ATK CRS-7 mission by going to the mission home page at: http://www.nasa.gov/orbitalatk.

 

NASA, Orbital ATK and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are now targeting April 18 for the launch of Orbital ATK’s seventh contracted commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. ULA has developed a plan to resolve an earlier booster hydraulic issue, and is moving forward with launch vehicle processing. Both the Atlas V rocket and Cygnus spacecraft remain secure. Several tons of cargo including crew supplies and science experiments packed aboard Cygnus remain in good shape.

NASA, Orbital ATK and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have postponed Orbital ATK’s seventh commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. ULA discovered a new booster hydraulic issue during prelaunch testing. The ULA team is developing a plan to resolve the issue and a new launch date will be determined.

Orbital ATK has contracted with ULA for its Atlas V rocket for the launch service, which will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft is packed with 7,600 pounds of supplies and research for crew aboard the orbiting laboratory. The Atlas V and Cygnus remain secure.