The Story:
After a day’s delay because a stray plane flew over the launch site on Saturday, the Antares rocket was successfully launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Sunday, November 12 at 7:19 am EST.
Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft is now in a low-earth orbit, where it will catch up with the International Space Station (ISS) over the next couple of days.
Important Because:
The spacecraft is carrying essential supplies for astronauts on the ISS, about 7,400 pounds worth of food, clothing and materials for experiments.
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The payload contains experiments to study antibiotic resistance, experiments on the effect of micro-gravity on plants and insects, and a new laser-based communications system.
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The astronauts aboard the ISS are also getting a rare treat – fresh fruits and vegetables in a special “Cool Box.”
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The commercial space company Orbital ATK has dedicated this mission to the late Gene Cernan, the NASA astronaut who was the last person ever to walk on the moon.
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The Cygnus spacecraft was christened the S.S. Gene Cernan in memory of him.
This Happened:
The launch time of 7:14 am Eastern Standard Time was pushed back by 5 minutes to ensure that two boats were outside the restricted area in order to prevent anything similar to yesterday’s delay.
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The trip will last 46 hours, and is the shortest Cygnus trip so far for a cargo mission.
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The S.S. Gene Cernan is expected to arrive at the ISS on November 14 at 5:40 am EST.
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The docking will be conducted by European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who will grapple the cargo-van-sized craft with the Canadarm2.
