Two Canadian science projects to be launched to the International Space Station

NASA commercial partner Orbital ATK has set Thursday, Dec. 3, for the launch of its fourth contracted mission to the International Space Station under the agency’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. With the increase in volume, coupled with weight savings from upgraded components, the enhanced Cygnus has a maximum payload of more than 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds), which is 1,200 kilograms (2,630 pounds) more than its predecessor. Cygnus will be launched into a targeted orbit of 143 x 144 miles above the Earth, inclined at 51.64 degrees to the equator.

Orbital is planning on launching its Cygnus spacecraft during a 30-minute window that starts at 4:55 p.m. on Thursday. NASA Television coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. EST.

ULA’s OA-4 Launch Is A First… Orbital employees are now working hard to swap out the engine of its Antares rocket and get the thing up and running again, despite the fact that this actually is, you know, rocket science: One wrong tweak could see the Antares rocket once again become an expensive firework display on the launchpad during Orbital’s next scheduled launch in March 2016.

According to NASA, the launch cargo, in addition, will include two Nodes satellites that will be deployed from the space station to demonstrate new network capabilities critical to the operation of swarms of spacecraft.

Orbital ATK will use a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket to send the commercial Cygnus cargo craft to the ISS. ULA recognizes the criticality of this mission in providing much-needed replenishment of supplies to the ISS crew, scientific equipment to further the ISS mission of discovery and logistical hardware to help maintain a healthy ISS. It will remain docked at the ISS for about three weeks.

NASA is ready to resume its commercial resupply mission this week following two catastrophic losses in less than a year of cargo vessels bound for the International Space Station. The Orbital explosion might not have been such a huge deal except that it was followed by another mishap the following June when SpaceX’s Falcon 9 disintegrated over Florida. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures.

Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,000 people in 20 states across the USA and in several worldwide locations.