Tag: Orbital
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Post mortem for CRS-3 Antares notes turbopump failure
Engineers are methodically working through stacks of data related to last week’s failure of the CRS-3/OrB-3 Antares launch vehicle. Orbital managers have noted that early data points to the failure of a turbopump on one of Antares’ AJ-26 engines as the leading reason the rocket failed just seconds after launch. The company are now working towards…
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Antares 130 debut with fourth Cygnus ready for second attempt
Orbital Sciences Corporation – with their new version of their Antares rocket – will make a second attempt to loft the fourth Cygnus mission to the International Space Station at 18:22 local time on Tuesday. Liftoff, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, was scrubbed for 24 hours due to a boat failing…
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Cygnus sets date for next ISS mission – Castor XL ready for debut
Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft will begin her latest trip to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 24, atop of the Antares carrier rocket – the rocket’s fifth launch in 18 months of operation. The ORB-3/CRS-3 mission will also debut the use of the more powerful Castor XL second stage motor, supplied by ATK. ORB-3: Amid…
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Orbital’s Cygnus re-enters to complete successful mission
Orbital’s CRS-2/ORB-2 spacecraft has completed her successful mission to the International Space Station (ISS), following unberthing on Friday. The vehicle then spent two days on orbit prior to conducting a destructive re-entry on Sunday – marking the end to Cygnus’ latest Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission. Cygnus ORB-2 EOM (End Of Mission): Cygnus began her…
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ORB-2 Cygnus completes ISS rendezvous and berthing
Orbital’s ORB-2 Cygnus spacecraft has successfully rendezvoused and berthed with the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday morning. The American spacecraft, partly built in Italy, guided in by Canadian sensors and grabbed by an American astronaut using another Canadian asset – Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) – completed her arrival at 6:36 Eastern. ORB-2…
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Commercial duo refine upcoming launch dates
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 v1.1 launch of six ORBCOMM OG-2 satellites has seen its launch date tweaked to No Earlier Than (NET) launch date to June 15, pending its Static Fire test on Friday. The slight delay is understood to be related to a re-test requirement on the satellites. Meanwhile, Orbital’s launch of the Antares rocket…
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Antares AJ-26 engine fails during Stennis testing
One of the AJ-26 engines set to launch with a future Antares rocket has failed during testing at the Stennis Space Center on Thursday. Sources claim the engine “exploded” on a Stand located in the E Complex at the famous rocket facility. The failure is currently under evaluation, although it may delay the next Antares…
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Orbital and ATK form space flight super group
Orbital and ATK have merged forces to form a joint company that will combine the talents and resources of two well-known space industry stalwarts. To be known as Orbital ATK Inc. – the deal will give birth to a new Global Aerospace and Defense Systems Company that will result in the further merging of synergies with…
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Ariane 5 ECA lofts Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A
Arianespace lofted another two more satellites into orbit – namely Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A – via their Ariane 5 ECA rocket on Saturday. Launch from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana was delayed by 24 hours due to unacceptable rollout weather. However, Saturday proved to be no problem, with launch occurring at the opening…
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Orbital set May 6 for next Cygnus mission to the ISS
The next launch of Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft has been targeted for a No Earlier Than (NET) launch target of May 6. The CRS-2/ORB-2 mission will be launched by the company’s Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA Wallops in Virginia – the fourth launch of Orbital’s new medium class rocket, providing the ride uphill…