US space bureau NASA has said that it has postponed the launch of Orbital ATK’s seventh commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo will not be launched any before long than March 21, said NASA.
NASA’s Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo mission was a bit previous scheduled to be launched on March 19. Orbital ATK has the intent to launch the Cygnus spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.
The aircraft will be difficult in delivering important crew supplies, equipment, and scientific experiments to astronauts aboard the ISS. ULA had found a booster hydraulic issue at the pad all along prelaunch testing on March 10.
NASA forenamed in a blog post on Friday that both the cargo spacecraft and Atlas V rocket remain secure in their processing facilities.
The Atlas V rocket will bear the Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It will be chock-full with about 3,447 kgs of supplies and research for the crew aboard the orbiting laboratory.
What do you mean by Cygnus spacecraft?
The Cygnus spacecraft is an American computerized cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital ATK as part of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) developmental program. Cygnus is the Latin-Greek word for swan and a northern constellation.
Released by Orbital’s Antares rocket or ULA’s Atlas V, the Cygnus is constructed to transport supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the American Space Shuttle.
Since August 2000 ISS re-supply missions have been ordinarily flown by Russian Progress (spacecraft), as well as by the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, and the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle.
With the Cygnus spacecraft and the SpaceX Dragon, NASA inquiries to increase its partnerships with domestic in demand aviation and aeronautics industry.
