NASASpaceFlight.com
  • Forums
  • L2 Sign Up
  • SLS/Orion
  • SpaceX
  • Commercial
  • ISS
  • International
    • All Chinese European Russian
      Russian

      Proton-M returns with Russian military launch

      April 18, 2018

      International

      India’s PSLV-XL rocket launches IRNSS-1I

      April 11, 2018

      Chinese

      Surprise Chinese launch of the Yaogan Weixing-31-01 mission

      April 10, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 returns with DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS 4…

      April 5, 2018

      Chinese

      Surprise Chinese launch of the Yaogan Weixing-31-01 mission

      April 10, 2018

      Chinese

      Tiangong-1 uncontrolled return – disposal corridor was over…

      April 1, 2018

      Chinese

      Long March 4C launches Gaofen-1 triplets

      March 30, 2018

      Chinese

      Long March 2D launches LKW-4

      March 17, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 returns with DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS 4…

      April 5, 2018

      European

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-B launches latest O3b satellites

      March 9, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 lofts SES-14 and Al Yah-3 despite…

      January 25, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 ES lofts another set of Galileo…

      December 12, 2017

      Russian

      Proton-M returns with Russian military launch

      April 18, 2018

      Russian

      Spectacular Soyuz 2-1v launch deploys Kosmos 2525

      March 29, 2018

      Russian

      Soyuz MS-08 mission, first crew launch of 2018,…

      March 21, 2018

      Russian

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-B launches latest O3b satellites

      March 9, 2018

  • Other
    • All Shuttle Uncrewed
      Featured

      SpaceX successfully launches TESS on a mission to…

      April 18, 2018

      Featured

      ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AFSPC-11

      April 14, 2018

      Featured

      NASA requests alternative options to RS-25s on SLS…

      April 11, 2018

      International

      India’s PSLV-XL rocket launches IRNSS-1I

      April 11, 2018

      Shuttle

      KSC/Cape braves HURCON I conditions as Matthew passes

      October 8, 2016

      Shuttle

      “Statistically significant evidence” for water emissions from Europa

      September 26, 2016

      Shuttle

      SpaceX looks to historic Pad 39A for Falcon…

      September 9, 2016

      Shuttle

      ET-94 arrives into Los Angeles for road trip…

      May 18, 2016

      Uncrewed

      SpaceX successfully launches TESS on a mission to…

      April 18, 2018

      Uncrewed

      ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AFSPC-11

      April 14, 2018

      Uncrewed

      India’s PSLV-XL rocket launches IRNSS-1I

      April 11, 2018

      Uncrewed

      InSight ready for final preparations for a trip…

      April 9, 2018

Popular
SpaceX successfully launches TESS on a mission to...
Proton-M returns with Russian military launch
Exploration Ground Systems, Jacobs practice building SLS boosters...
ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AFSPC-11
Starliner gets potential mission duration increase for Crew...
SpaceX makes progress toward Commercial Crew debut
NASA requests alternative options to RS-25s on SLS...
India’s PSLV-XL rocket launches IRNSS-1I
Surprise Chinese launch of the Yaogan Weixing-31-01 mission
InSight ready for final preparations for a trip...

NASASpaceFlight.com

  • Forums
  • L2 Sign Up
  • SLS/Orion
  • SpaceX
  • Commercial
  • ISS
  • International
    • All Chinese European Russian
      Russian

      Proton-M returns with Russian military launch

      April 18, 2018

      International

      India’s PSLV-XL rocket launches IRNSS-1I

      April 11, 2018

      Chinese

      Surprise Chinese launch of the Yaogan Weixing-31-01 mission

      April 10, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 returns with DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS 4…

      April 5, 2018

      Chinese

      Surprise Chinese launch of the Yaogan Weixing-31-01 mission

      April 10, 2018

      Chinese

      Tiangong-1 uncontrolled return – disposal corridor was over…

      April 1, 2018

      Chinese

      Long March 4C launches Gaofen-1 triplets

      March 30, 2018

      Chinese

      Long March 2D launches LKW-4

      March 17, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 returns with DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS 4…

      April 5, 2018

      European

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-B launches latest O3b satellites

      March 9, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 lofts SES-14 and Al Yah-3 despite…

      January 25, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 ES lofts another set of Galileo…

      December 12, 2017

      Russian

      Proton-M returns with Russian military launch

      April 18, 2018

      Russian

      Spectacular Soyuz 2-1v launch deploys Kosmos 2525

      March 29, 2018

      Russian

      Soyuz MS-08 mission, first crew launch of 2018,…

      March 21, 2018

      Russian

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-B launches latest O3b satellites

      March 9, 2018

  • Other
    • All Shuttle Uncrewed
      Featured

      SpaceX successfully launches TESS on a mission to…

      April 18, 2018

      Featured

      ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AFSPC-11

      April 14, 2018

      Featured

      NASA requests alternative options to RS-25s on SLS…

      April 11, 2018

      International

      India’s PSLV-XL rocket launches IRNSS-1I

      April 11, 2018

      Shuttle

      KSC/Cape braves HURCON I conditions as Matthew passes

      October 8, 2016

      Shuttle

      “Statistically significant evidence” for water emissions from Europa

      September 26, 2016

      Shuttle

      SpaceX looks to historic Pad 39A for Falcon…

      September 9, 2016

      Shuttle

      ET-94 arrives into Los Angeles for road trip…

      May 18, 2016

      Uncrewed

      SpaceX successfully launches TESS on a mission to…

      April 18, 2018

      Uncrewed

      ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AFSPC-11

      April 14, 2018

      Uncrewed

      India’s PSLV-XL rocket launches IRNSS-1I

      April 11, 2018

      Uncrewed

      InSight ready for final preparations for a trip…

      April 9, 2018

Cygnus ends successful mission with destructive farewell

written by Chris Bergin October 22, 2013

Orbital’s Cygnus was commanded towards a destructive re-entry on Wednesday, marking the end of its successful ORB-D mission. The vehicle was unberthed from the International Space Station (ISS) and released by the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) the day before, in a text book departure.

Cygnus Success:

Cygnus arrived at the orbital outpost on September 28, a week later than planned, due to a discrepancy in the GPS data between the ISS and Orbital’s spacecraft.

However, the flawless rendezvous and berthing more than made up for the delay, as Cygnus was put through a challenging set of manuevers aimed at proving its ability to safely arrive within the Keep Out Sphere (KOS) and then be in a stance to abort from the $100 billion Station in the event of a system failure.

See Also

  • Orbital Forum Section
  • L2 Antares/Cygnus Special
  • L2 ISS Section
  • Click here to Join L2

With the hatch opening occurring the following day, the crew began to unload the 1,100 kgs of cargo contained within the vehicle’s PCM. Although ORB-D is a demo mission, Cygnus’ successful arrival provided the Station with some much needed supplies.

This involved the crew removing the “top layers” on PORT and STBD pallets to make room in PCM. They then removed components of the Secondary Structure as required, ahead of emptying the FWD and AFT pallets to gain access to the Standoff pallets, which they emptied and repacked.

Z35With the payloads removed, the crew began to fill Cygnus back up with trash items, via a reverse sequence. The “return cargo” won’t be classed as downmass, because – unlike Dragon – Cygnus won’t be returning to the ground or water.

Instead, it’ll be sent on a path to a destructive re-entry.

This final phase of the mission – a reverse of the berthing procedures – is called the Descent & Reentry Operations Phase (DROPS), as Cygnus ends its life in a disposal corridor during entry.

The first task on Tuesday was to complete vestibule depressurization, prior to releasing the 16 bolts that had secured Cygnus to the ISS. The 16 bolts were driven in two stages, with the SSRMS holding a firm grip on the spacecraft.

Z54Once released, Cygnus was then carefully translated 10 meters away from the Station, eased through pre-planned manuevers to position the vehicle into its release stance.

The Latching End Effector on the end of the Station’s arm then drove the snares to literally let go of Cygnus, allowing it to be free once again, followed by the ISS crew slowly moving the arm back away from the ship from their viewing position in the Cupola’s Robotic Work Station (RWS).

With Cygnus able to abort, had it wandered back towards the arm – as was the case with the HTV-3 unberthing – controllers both at MCC-Dules and MCC-Houston conducted system checks, prior to the opening departure burn.

This initial departure was a commanded abort, a nominal procedure to allow the HTV console to inform Cygnus it can begin to move away.

Z3Cygnus then began a half-lap flyaround of the ISS, looping behind the Station, before swinging under and infront of the outpost, with its final venture to the V-Bar being 1,200 kms in front of the ISS.

It then made the decent – via two standard burns and the final deorbit burn – towards a destructive re-entry, with break up occurring high above New Zealand at 75 km altitude on Wednesday.

“Congratulations to the teams at Orbital Sciences and NASA who worked hard to make this demonstration mission to the International Space Station an overwhelming success,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

Z8“We are delighted to now have two American companies able to resupply the station. U.S. innovation and inspiration have once again shown their great strength in the design and operation of a new generation of vehicles to carry cargo to our laboratory in space. Orbital’s success today is helping make NASA’s future exploration to farther destinations possible.”

It is highly likely that following this successful demonstration, the way will be paved for its siblings to each take a turn in providing full CRS operations.

The deal to carry out ISS resupply flights – under the $1.9 billion CRS contract – encompasses eight missions between 2012 and 2015 carrying approximately 20,000 kg of cargo to the ISS.

Pending a review by Orbital and NASA teams, Cygnus will change call signs from being a spacecraft under the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program into the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.

Z54 (1)This mission will involve a standard three day flight profile to berthing with the ISS, with its launch aided by the Castor 30B second stage upper stage engine – ATK’s upgraded variant of the Castor 30A that rode with the ORB-D Cygnus.

For the ORB-1 mission, approximately 1,350 kilograms of cargo are currently manifested to be taken up to the Station, including the first powered payload in Cygnus.

The next Cygnus – along with its Antares launch vehicle – is already being processed at Orbital’s Wallops facility, with a target launch date of December 15, with an available launch window through to December 21 – per L2 information.

(Images: via L2’s Cygnus Section – Containing presentations, videos, a vast set of unreleased hi-res images, interactive high level updates and more, with additional images via Orbital).

(Click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/ – to view how you can support NSF and access the best space flight content on the entire internet).

COTSCRSCygnusISSOrbital
2
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
previous article
Dream Chaser preparing for drop test milestone
next article
Golden Spike promote lunar sample return options

Related Articles

OA-5 Cygnus completes journey to the ISS

October 23, 2016

Orbital ATK ready for Antares’ second life

January 21, 2016

Atlas V and Starliner reveal new configuration to...

October 13, 2016

Captain Cassidy – From Navy SEAL to Chief...

July 9, 2015

Full Thrust Falcon 9 stage conducts first static...

September 24, 2015

Delays for Antares as she prepares for comeback...

October 10, 2016

Cygnus set for December Atlas V ride ahead...

August 7, 2015

ATK announce Liberty KSC test flights, reveal crew...

May 9, 2012

Antares launches with OA-8 Cygnus en route to...

November 12, 2017

Soyuz MS-02 returns three person crew back to...

April 10, 2017

Active Discussions

Loading activity..
Advertisement Orbital ATK Omega
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NovaTech
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • About Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Advertising Info

©2005-2018 - NASASpaceflight.com

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more