Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere on Monday after it brought approximately 7,400 pounds of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station and performed secondary space missions. The re-entry of the space vehicle, dubbed S.S. J.R. Thompson, marked the conclusion of the company's ninth cargo delivery mission to the …
Read More »Northrop's Cygnus Leaves Space Station to Perform CubeSat Deployment Mission
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft left the International Space Station on Friday to deploy six CubeSats into orbit. The company said Sunday the spacecraft, also known as S.S. J.R. Thompson, will use the NanoRacks deployer to field AeroCube 12A and 12B satellites from Aerospace Corp. and four other CubeSats that will join Spire Global's …
Read More »Orbital ATK to Unveil In-Orbit Robotic Servicing Platform at Satellite 2018 Conference
Orbital ATK will launch its in-orbit satellite servicing platform on March 13 at the four-day Satellite 2018 conference and exhibition slated to kick off Monday in Washington, D.C. David Thompson, Orbital ATK president and CEO, will join Tom Wilson, president of SpaceLogistics, to introduce the robotic servicing system – Mission …
Read More »Orbital ATK Confirms Al Yah 3 Satellite’s Good Condition After Recent Deviation
Orbital ATK has confirmed the Al Yah 3 commercial communications satellite’s good operational status, following a launch on Thursday wherein the unit entered an unplanned route. Al Yah Satellite Communications commissioned the satellite that was initially launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket, in aims to provide Ka-band coverage over Africa, Orbital …
Read More »Orbital ATK-Built Spacecraft to Deploy Cubesats in Orbit Following ISS Departure
An Orbital ATK-built spacecraft will begin to deploy cubesats in orbit and return to Earth’s atmosphere following the platform’s departure from the International Space Station. Orbital ATK said Thursday the Cygnus cargo delivery system dubbed as S.S. Gene Cernan supports the OA-8 mission which marks the fourth time the spacecraft …
Read More »Orbital ATK, NASA Wrap Up Preliminary Design Review of Satellite Servicing Vehicle's Docking Platform
Orbital ATK and NASA have completed the preliminary design review of a docking component of its Mission Extension Vehicle. The Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking system consists of actuators, control algorithms and sensors that work to help MEV-1 detect, monitor and move toward a client spacecraft, Orbital ATK said Tuesday. The company …
Read More »Orbital ATK to Resume Antares Rocket Launches in September; Frank Culbertson Comments
Orbital ATK plans to launch its Cygnus spacecraft aboard its upgraded Antares 230 rocket in September as part of the company's eighth cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station under NASA‘s Commercial Resupply Services contract, Space News reported Monday. “The launch date on the manifest now is September the 12th,“ Frank …
Read More »Orbital ATK-Built Cygnus Spacecraft Departs from ISS to Perform Secondary Payload Missions
An Orbital ATK-built Cygnus spacecraft has departed from the International Space Station to conduct three secondary payload missions as part of its next mission phase. The company said Sunday that the S.S. John Glenn will perform NASA‘s Spacecraft Fire Experiment-III experiment which will monitor the behavior of fires in microgravity. “The experiment will intentionally …
Read More »Orbital ATK's Cygnus Arrives at Space Station for 7th Cargo Resupply Mission
An Orbital ATK-built Cygnus spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station to deliver approximately 7,600 pounds of crew supplies, food, clothing, spare parts, scientific experiments and laboratory equipment. The S.S. John Glenn spacecraft reached ISS Saturday and completed berthing procedures days after its April 18 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard a United Launch …
Read More »Frank Culbertson: Orbital ATK Expects NASA Decision on Choice of CRS-2 Mission Rockets Soon
Frank Culbertson, president of Orbital ATK's space systems group, has said the company expects NASA to decide soon on whether to use its Antares vehicle or the United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V rocket in Cygnus spacecraft's future cargo missions as part of the Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract, Space News reported …
Read More »Orbital ATK Completes 17-Year Support for NASA Earth Observation Satellite; Frank Culbertson Comments
Orbital ATK has concluded its support services for an Earth observation satellite the company built for NASA‘s Goddard Space Flight Center to aid the validation and development of satellite and instrument technologies. The company said Thursday NASA has decommissioned the Earth Observing-1 satellite after a nearly 17-year mission that began in 2000. Orbital ATK …
Read More »Frank Culbertson: Orbital ATK to Host STEM Students at Dulles HQ
Orbital ATK will host students of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at the company's Dulles, Virginia-based headquarters in support of Higher Orbits' Go For Launch! program, Loudon Now reported Thursday. Higher Orbits, a non-profit organization, will hold its three-day program next month at Orbital ATK's Dulles headquarters for high …
Read More »Orbital ATK Cygnus Concludes 6th Space Station Cargo Resupply Mission
Orbital ATK has concluded its sixth cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station which also marked the company’s return to flight operations at NASA‘s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The company said Monday the Cygnus spacecraft, nicknamed S.S. Alan Poindexter, has completed its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere as part of the OA-5 mission. Cygnus arrived …
Read More »NASA, Orbital ATK Enter Partnership to Build Commercial Space Robotic Assembly Infrastructure
NASA‘s Space Technology Mission Directorate has forged a public-private partnership with Orbital ATK to address the agency’s robotic and human exploration goals through the establishment of a commercial space infrastructure. Orbital ATK said Tuesday the Commercial Infrastructure for Robotic Assembly and Services project aims to update technologies for in-orbit manufacturing and assembly of …
Read More »Orbital ATK's Cygnus Spacecraft Arrives at ISS For 6th Cargo Resupply Mission; Frank Culbertson Comments
The Orbital ATK-built Cygnus spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station to deliver approximately 5,300 pounds of crew supplies, scientific experiments and laboratory equipment. The S.S. Alan Poindexter space vehicle reached ISS Sunday and completed berthing procedures seven days after it launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to mark Orbital …
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