Private Spacecraft Lifts Off With Space Station Supplies

Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft has successfully launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on its way to becoming the second private vehicle to resupply the International Space Station.

Space.com says:

"The unmanned Cygnus spacecraft and its Antares rocket soared into orbit with a tremendous roar at 10:58 a.m. EDT (1458 GMT) today from [Wallops] — a huge success for the commercial spaceflight company Orbital Sciences Corp., which built both vehicles. The spacecraft is now chasing the space station and is due to arrive early Sunday (Sept. 22), when it will be captured by astronauts using the outpost's robotic arm."

Cygnus bears "1,300 pounds of food, clothing and goodies for the astronauts," The Associated Press says.

Orbital Sciences and billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX Corp. have been contracted to supply the orbiting outpost since the space shuttle was retired two years ago. Two SpaceX Dragon robotic capsules have already been up on resupply missions, the most recent one in March.

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New Private Spacecraft Set For Mission To Resupply Space Station

An artist's rendering of the Cygnus spacecraft approaching the International Space Station.

Orbital Sciences An artist's rendering of the Cygnus spacecraft approaching the International Space Station.

Orbital Sciences

The SpaceX Dragon may have gotten there first, but Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft is set to become the second private robotic ship to dock with the International Space Station after a Wednesday launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The launch is scheduled for 10:50 a.m. EDT on Wednesday from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops.

Space.com writes:

"Orbital Sciences' vehicle will fly into space atop the company's Antares rocket, which is ... about the size of a 13-story building, standing 131.5 feet (40 meters) tall. The two AJ26 engines used in the rocket's first stage are based on the NK-33 engine, which was originally developed to launch Russia's giant N-1 moon rocket — the Soviet answer to America's famous Saturn V — in the 1960s. However, the Soviet heavy-lifter was never launched successfully."

Orbital Sciences is contracted for eight cargo missions to the ISS under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA.

In May 2012, SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, launched the Dragon on its first successful resupply mission to the ISS and in March of this year, a second robotic Dragon delivered 1,200 pounds of supplies to astronauts.

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