OrbitalSciences
Latest
ViviSat has a plan to breathe new life into aging satellites
The wealth of space junk idling around Earth is becoming such a serious problem we've taken to dreaming up supervillain schemes to address it. No one solution has been settled on quite yet, but in the meantime ViviSat -- a joint venture between aerospace firms US Space and Orbital ATK (formerly Orbital Sciences) -- has an idea that should cut down the amount we're adding to the dumpster in the sky. Satellites have a lifespan defined by how much fuel they carry into orbit, but with the help of ViviSat's Mission Extender Vehicle (MEV), they could survive up to 15 years longer than they were originally destined to.
Orbital Sciences launches first spacecraft since 2014 explosion
After some weather delays, Orbital Sciences has reclaimed some of its lost reputation. The private spacecraft firm has successfully launched Cygnus, its International Space Station resupply mission, aboard an Atlas V rocket. It's a relatively routine unmanned flight carrying over 7,300 pounds' worth of cargo, but it represents an important return to form for the company after its Antares craft exploded on launch last year. Let's just hope this is an auspicious sign for space travel as a whole -- it's had far too many tragedies in recent months.
Watch NASA launch its Cygnus mission to the ISS
Need one more thing to do on a Friday afternoon? Check out this live stream (YouTube) of NASA's Cygnus resupply mission launching on its way to the International Space Station. This mission is being undertaken by Orbital ATK, which you may remember from last year's Antares mission that spectacularly exploded during launch. This launch was planned for yesterday but ended up scrubbed due to bad weather, now everything looks ready to go and the launch is planned for 5:33PM ET.Update: The launch has been scrubbed again, due to high ground wind speeds.
NASA photos show the Antares rocket explosion in gritty detail
When Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket exploded last year, your only real view at the time was a grainy video. However, you should now have a much better sense of what happened: NASA has posted large photos from the failed launch on Flickr. They not only show the incident in exceptional (almost uncomfortable) detail, but do a better job of illustrating the magnitude of what happened. This was a very large vehicle coming down very quickly, and the impact enveloped much of the launch site in fire and smoke.
US Army will test a smart grenade launcher that hits hidden targets
After years of work, Orbital ATK (born from Orbital Sciences) is close to delivering a clever weapon that could help American soldiers in very tricky situations. As of early 2016, the US Army will start acceptance testing for the XM25, a smart grenade launcher that can defeat enemies behind cover. In normal use, all you have to do is point at an enemy (up to 1,640 feet away) and let the XM25's laser rangefinder decide when your grenade explodes. If a target is hiding, however, you can dial in extra distance (up to 2,300 feet away) and explode the grenade in mid-air. Troops theoretically don't have to expose themselves to line up a shot -- they just pick a close-enough point and pull the trigger.
Unmanned Orbital Sciences Antares rocket explodes on liftoff (video)
The Orbital Sciences Antares rocket attempted to take off this evening at the Wallops Flight Facility (yesterday's attempt was scrubbed due to a boat that wandered into a restricted area), but it exploded just six seconds after launching. In a tweet Orbital Sciences confirmed a "vehicle anomaly", and NASA says the company is evaluating the mission. There was no crew on board as it was intended to be Orbital's third unmanned resupply mission for the ISS, carrying some 5,000 lbs of food, supplies and science experiments, like the Radiometer Atmospheric CubeSat Experiment (RACE) and 26 Flock 1d satellites from Planet Labs. One thing that was not onboard was the Kickstarter-backed ARKYD telescope -- this mission was carrying an A3 spacecraft intended to test out the equipment that ARKYD will use next year. Orbital Sciences is the second private company -- after SpaceX -- that runs missions to the ISS, and its Cygnus spacecraft made the first successful delivery about a year ago. NASA's live stream from the launch pad is embedded after the break, as well as a video replay of the failed launch. Update: Orbital Sciences says it has "formed an anomaly investigation board" to figure out what went wrong. EVP Frank Culbertson said that while the company focuses on the safety and security of those involved in recovery operations, "As soon as we understand the cause we will begin the necessary work to return to flight to support our customers and the nation's space program." NASA and Orbital are planning a press conference that will begin at 8:45PM ET, streaming on NASA TV. You can watch here, or in the embedded player after the break. Update 2: During the press conference, NASA said that the ISS is in good shape regarding its consumables (food, water), with supplies that will last into "well into" next year, perhaps as far as March. If anyone finds debris from the explosion they should stay away from it and call 757-824-1295 to pick it up. Orbital's Culbertson stated that right now, what they know is the same thing we've all seen on video. The ascent stopped, and there was "some disassembly" of the first stage, before the range safety officer sent the command to self-destruct.
Orbital Sciences becomes second private firm to resupply the ISS
More than four years after winning a contract (along with Space X) to resupply the International Space Station, Orbital Sciences has finally docked its Cygnus capsule with the space outpost. The achievement makes it the second private outfit to have run a resupply mission to the station, with Musk and Co. beating them to the punch last October. Achieving the rendezvous with the ISS didn't go without a hitch, however: a data format bug delayed the planned September 22nd berthing until a software fix was applied. Once Monday morning rolls around, the craft's hatch will be opened to reach 1,300 pounds worth of supplies, which include clothing, food and student experiments. In 30 days' time, the cargo vessel will detach and head for a destructive reentry over the Pacific Ocean. [Image credit: NASA, Instagram]
Watch live: Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket to lift off on test flight (update: success!)
SpaceX may be the only private outfit currently shepherding cargo to the International Space Station, but Orbital Sciences, which is the second party in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services effort, is taking a step towards its own ISS resupply missions. Today, the firm's Antares rocket will undergo its very first test flight, taking off from the space agency's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. Liftoff is slated for sometime between 5PM and 7PM, with an 80 percent chance of favorable weather, as opposed to the 45 percent odds and high-altitude winds that foiled its initial attempt yesterday. To watch Antares embark on its maiden voyage, hit the jump for a live video feed. Update: Antares blasted off at a hair past 5PM and successfully separated from its mock payload. The live stream has wrapped up, but we'll slot in a video of the launch as soon as we get ahold of one. Update 2: NASA just posted its footage of the rocket taking off, and we've placed the video after the break for your viewing pleasure. [Image credit: NASA, Flickr]
SpaceX lands a pair of plum US Air Force contracts for its Falcon rockets
SpaceX vehicles have proved themselves thus far to be highly capable cargo-toters for hungry astronauts aboard the ISS, and now the company's Falcon rockets have chalked up a couple of US Air Force missions, too. They'll participate in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, launching the Deep Space Climate Observatory in 2014 aboard a Falcon 9 and a DOD satellite in 2015 from a Falcon Heavy. Those missions are part of the USAF's Orbital/Suborbital Program-3, a competition pitting SpaceX against Orbital Sciences for up to $900 million worth of contracts. That puts Elon Musk's little venture in the catbird seat for the chance to compete against Boeing and Lockheed Martin for prime EELV contracts, backing up some of the CEO's recent trash-talk.
NASA taps Orbital Sciences, SpaceX for ISS resupply missions
The firms not mentioned here are just as important as the ones that are, as the privatization of space has just inched closer to reality. Rather than NASA handling ISS resupply chores itself or farming the job out to mega-corps such as Lockheed Martin or Boeing, the agency has instead awarded one contract each to Virginia-based Orbital Sciences (valued at around $1.9 billion) and California's own SpaceX ($1.6 billion). The two will be responsible for 20 service flights between 2009 and 2016, with each trip requiring delivery of "a minimum of 20 metric tons of upmass cargo to the space station." The agreements also call for "delivery of non-standard services in support of the cargo resupply, including analysis and special tasks as the government determines are necessary." So yeah, if FedEx / UPS have been balking at your request to ship to a Martian eBay winner, you now know who to call.[Via TG Daily]
