Cygnus Media Day at NASA Wallops

Media got a close-up look at Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft, packed with cargo for the International Space Station Tuesday, June 7, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Reporters talked with International Space Station Deputy Director Robyn Gatens and Dan Tani, mission and cargo operations senior director with Orbital ATK, about the space agency’s efforts to send supplies to the space station using commercial companies.

Dan Tani, senior director of Orbital ATK mission and cargo operations in front of Cygnus Cargo Module — Dan Tani, senior director of Orbital ATK mission and cargo operations, discusses Cygnus capabilities with reporters during a media day June 7, 2016, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Credit: NASA Wallops/Patrick Black

Orbital ATK will make its fifth Cygnus cargo delivery to the space station this summer under its Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The agency and Orbital ATK currently are targeting July for launch of the company’s Antares rocket from Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at Wallops.

Orbital ATK specialists at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia load the Cygnus cargo module with supplies for the International Space Station. Credit: NASA Wallops/Patrick Black — Orbital ATK specialists at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia load the Cygnus cargo module with supplies for the International Space Station. Credit: NASA Wallops/Patrick Black

Orbital ATK technicians load Cygnus — Credit: NASA Wallops/Patrick Black

Cygnus Cargo Module — Orbital ATK technicians mate the Cygnus pressurized cargo module to the program command module during integration operations. Orbital ATK anticipates a July 2016 launch from Wallops to resupply the International Space Station. Credit: NASA Wallops/Patrick Black

During the media event Orbital ATK announced that they will name this Cygnus spacecraft the S.S. Alan Poindexter, to honor the memory of former astronaut and Navy aviator Capt. Alan Poindexter. More information on the next Cygnus mission is available from Orbital ATK at http://go.nasa.gov/1RZdEuy.