Wednesday, September 11, 2013

NASA to televise Orbital launch

NASA will provide live coverage of the Sept. 17 launch of Orbital Science Corp.'s cargo resupply demonstration mission to the International Space Station. Orbital is the second commercial company to send a mission to the ISS. SpaceX was the first. The company's Cygnus cargo carrier will be launched aboard Orbital's Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Cygnus will deliver about 1,300 pounds of cargo to the Expedition 37 crew aboard the space station. Rendezvous with the space station is scheduled for Sept. 22. (Source: NASA, 09/10/13) Note: The Antares first-stage is powered by twin AJ26 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous