Cygnus Spacecraft Set for 7,000 Pound Supply Run to Space Station

Astronauts set to receive food, supplies, science experiments.

ByABC News
December 3, 2015, 9:03 AM

— -- If everything goes according to plan, the Cygnus spacecraft, packed with 7,000 pounds of science experiments and supplies, will blast off this afternoon for the International Space Station.

Commander Scott Kelly, who is currently spending one year in space, can look forward to unloading more food supplies, clothes and plenty of science experiments -- the results of which can help benefit future missions.

The Packed Bed Reactor Experiment will examine how liquids and gases behave when flowing through the same column. The results could help inform scientists on how to build lighter and more energy efficient life support systems for the space station and future missions into deep space.

Two satellites will also be on board Cygnus and will be deployed from ISS to demonstrate how swarms of spacecraft will be able to exchange information with each other as well as determine who should speak with ground control at a certain time during a mission, according to NASA.

The launch, which is set for 5:55 p.m. ET, comes after NASA suffered to two catastrophic losses in less than a year of cargo vessels bound for the International Space Station.

The company Orbital ATK, the owner of Cygnus, had been sidelined following the Antares rocket explosion last year, while SpaceX, the other company contracted by NASA to resupply the space station, lost its Dragon capsule when it burst into flames just 139 seconds after its launch over Cape Canaveral.

Why You'll Want to Watch This Launch

If everything goes according to plan, the launch will be Orbital ATK’s fourth commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station and its first since a little over a year ago when an explosion shortly after launch destroyed the Antares rocket, Cygnus vessel and thousands of pounds of cargo.

An independent investigation completed by NASA around the anniversary of the Antares explosion found the cause was likely an explosion in a turbo-pump located in one of the rocket's two engines.

What's Different This Time

For today's launch, Orbital ATK said it plans to use a different rocket -- the workhorse Atlas V -- which has been used to put many satellites into orbit but has never been used to send a cargo to the space station.

Also new is the upgraded Cygnus, which can carry 7,000 pounds of cargo -- 25 percent more than its predecessor -- making the vehicle even more appealing to NASA, which relies on its resupply missions to stock the space station with food, clothes and science experiments.

When Cygnus reaches the space station, it will be pulled in by the station's robotic arm and docked for unloading. Cygnus will also help take out the trash -- astronauts will fill up the spacecraft with unneeded items before releasing it to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.