Weather again delays critical space station shipment

The launch is rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 6 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. NASA Television coverage will begin at 4 p.m. Earlier this evening, the 30-minute launch window tomorrow had a 30 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

The improvements come after the October 2014 accident, when an Orbital ATK Antares rocker that was to deliver a Cygnus spacecraft to the ISS crashed six seconds after launch.

NASA’s other contracted shipper, SpaceX, has been grounded since a failed launch in June.

After bad weather foiled NASA’s second attempt to launch an Atlas V rocket and the Orbital ATK built Cygnus spacecraft, the space agency is prepared to make its third attempt, which is scheduled to take place later this evening. A Russian resupply mission, in fact, is scheduled just before Christmas. NASA will make its fourth launch attempt this afternoon.

Launch Notes: OA-4 will mark the 60th launch of the Atlas V and the 30th launch in the 401 configuration.

Without further setbacks, space station program manager Kirk Shireman expects the food supply to be fully restocked a year from now.

Virginia-based Orbital purchased two United Launch Alliance rockets to fulfill its shipment obligations to NASA. HoloLens augmented-reality goggles to assist astronauts aboard the space station, according to Bloomberg.

Check out the @OrbitalATK mission profile for the #Cygnus launch and @Space_Station arrival. The cargo ship is packed with more supplies than a Cygnus has ever carried, amounting to some 7,300 pounds (3,300 kilograms), company officials said. The first component of the space station was launched on November 20, 1998.