Orbital Science Corp.’s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft are scheduled to launch today, Oct. 27, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Liftoff of the CRS-3 mission is scheduled for no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT.
Orbital Science Corp.’s Antares rocket with Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard, the morning of Oct. 27. Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight FacilityA view of the Cygnus spacecraft (enclosed in its fairing) atop the Antares rocket on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 26. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
This is the third commercial resupply flight by a Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station, and the first night launch of an Antares rocket. Cygnus will transport some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the orbiting laboratory.
The Antares rocket at sunrise on Oct. 26, 2014, a day before its scheduled launch. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
At a Launch Readiness Review Sunday, Oct. 26, managers for Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, and NASA gave a “go” to proceed toward the Monday, Oct. 27, launch of the Orbital CRS-3 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Orbital is targeting a 6:45 p.m. EDT launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 5:45 p.m.
There is a 98 percent chance of favorable weather at the time of launch.
NASA TV will broadcast two news briefings today from the Wallops Visitors Center. A prelaunch status briefing will be held at 1 p.m. followed by a preview of the mission’s science cargo at 2 p.m. The briefings will be carried live on NASA TV.
NASA will take questions from social media users in advance of and during the briefing using the hashtag #AskNASA. To learn more about all the ways to connect and collaborate with NASA, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/connect.
The launch of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s CRS-3 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station is on schedule for launch aboard an Antares rocket no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 27, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
The latest weather forecast remains at 98-percent favorable.
This photo shows the Antares rocket on the morning of Oct. 25 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s launch Pad-0A at Wallops. Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility/Joshua Murray
A number of activities are planned for Sunday, Oct. 26, leading up to launch day:
Launch Readiness Review, 10 a.m. to noon EDT
Pre-launch Briefing, 1 p.m. EDT (will air on NASA TV)
Science Briefing, 2 p.m. EDT (will air on NASA TV)
Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft aboard, was raised into vertical position at launch Pad-0A, early on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The launch of Orbital’s CRS-3 Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled for no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 27, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops. The latest forecast puts weather at 98-percent “go,” with the main concern being an extremely low chance of thick clouds.
The Antares rocket’s journey to the launch pad began on the evening of Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, shortly before 5 p.m. Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility/Chris PerryThe journey from Wallops’ Horizontal Integration Facility to the launch pad is about a mile. Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility/Chris PerryThe Antares rocket was raised to vertical position early on Saturday, Oct. 25. Credit: NASA/Joel KowskyCredit: NASA/Joel KowskyCredit: NASA/Joel KowskyThis photo shows the Antares rocket on the morning of Oct. 25 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s launch Pad-0A at Wallops. Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility/Joshua Murray
The Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with more than 5,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. The Orbital-3 mission is Orbital Sciences’ third contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA.
This mission is the third of eight Orbital flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station, and the fourth trip by a Cygnus spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.
At roughly 4:45 p.m. Friday evening, the Antares rocket loaded with Orbital Science Corp.’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft began its journey from the Horizontal Integration Facility at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to its launch pad, about a mile away.
The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft on board, rolls from the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) to launch Pad-0A, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Credit: NASA/Joel KowskyThe Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with more than 5,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. Credit: NASA/Joel KowskyThe Orbital-3 mission is Orbital Sciences’ third contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
The launch of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s CRS-3 Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled for no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 27, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops.
This mission is the third of eight Orbital flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station, and the fourth trip by a Cygnus spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket at 6:45 p.m. EDT, Oct. 27.
The Antares rocket will carry Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, loaded with some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, to the International Space Station. CRS-3 (short for “Commercial Resupply Services”) will be the fourth Cygnus flight, including a demonstration flight in 2013, and the first night launch of an Antares rocket.
The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States.
The Antares launch scheduled Oct. 27 will be visible to residents in the mid-Atlantic, weather permitting. Credit: NASA/Wallops Mission Planning LabWhat the Antares launch will look like from Fells Point in Baltimore, MD. Credit: Orbital Sciences Corp.Viewing the launch across the tidal basin from the MLK Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. Credit: Orbital Sciences Corp.Viewing from River Road in North Bergen, New Jersey, looking south. Credit: Orbital Sciences Corp.
Additional viewing maps from Orbital Sciences Corp. are available here.
Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at 5:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 27.
The Orbital CRS-3 mission’s payload fairing (essentially the casing around the spacecraft) was installed on Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares rocket the evening of Oct. 23 at the Horizontal Integration Facility at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Credit: NASA Wallops/Patrick BlackCredit: NASA Wallops/Patrick BlackCredit: NASA Wallops/Patrick Black
The rocket is scheduled to roll out to Mid-Atlantic Regaional Spaceport Pad 0A at Wallops late in the afternoon on Oct. 24 in preparation for launch Monday, Oct. 27, at 6:45 p.m. EDT.
This mission is the third of eight Orbital flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station, and the fourth trip by a Cygnus spacecraft to the ISS. Cygnus will transport some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the orbiting laboratory.
On Monday evening a Cygnus spacecraft carrying 5,000 pounds of supplies, including science experiments, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware is scheduled to launch aboard an Antares rocket from Virginia’s Eastern Shore, bound for the International Space Station.
The launch of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s CRS-3 Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled for no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT aboard an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
Orbital Sciences Corp. completed final cargo load of the Cygnus cargo spacecraft Oct. 23, 2014. Credit: NASA Wallops/Patrick Black › Larger image
The Antares rocket with Cyngus capsule aboard will be rolled out from Wallops’ Horizontal Integration Facility today en route to the MARS launch pad 0A, located about a mile away.
This Cygnus resupply module, dubbed “SS Deke Slayton,” honors Mercury 7 astronaut Donald “Deke” K. Slayton, who flew on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission in 1975 and championed commercial space endeavors after retiring from NASA in 1982. Slayton passed away in 1993.
The Antares launch scheduled Oct. 27 will be visible to residents in the mid-Atlantic, weather permitting. Credit: NASA/Wallops Mission Planning Lab › Larger image
NASA Television will broadcast live coverage of the event, including pre- and post-launch briefings and arrival at the station. Launch coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. Monday. Coverage of capture and installation will begin at 3:30 a.m. Nov. 2, followed by grapple at 4:58 a.m. Coverage of the installation of Cygnus onto the International Space Station will begin at 7 a.m. The capsule is scheduled to depart the station Wednesday, Dec. 3, and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere during reentry.
This mission is the third of eight Orbital flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station, and the fourth trip by a Cygnus spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.
