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==Spacecraft==
==Spacecraft==
{{main|Cygnus (spacecraft)}}
{{main|Cygnus (spacecraft)}}
This is the sixth of ten flights by [[Orbital Sciences]] under the [[Commercial Resupply Services]] contract with [[NASA]]. This will be the third flight of the Enhanced sized Cygnus PCM.<ref name=sn-20150817 /> The mission is expected to launch no earlier than May 31, 2016.<ref name=sfn-launchtracker2015 /><ref name=nasaheoc-scimemi201507 />
This is the sixth of ten flights by [[Orbital Sciences]] under the [[Commercial Resupply Services]] contract with [[NASA]]. This will be the third flight of the Enhanced sized Cygnus PCM.<ref name=sn-20150817 /> The mission is expected to launch no earlier than Junw 24, 2016.<ref name=sfn-launchtracker2015 /><ref name=nasaheoc-scimemi201603 />


==Manifest==
==Manifest==

Revision as of 15:27, 19 March 2016

Cygnus CRS OA-5
Mission typeISS resupply
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID2016-062A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.41818Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeEnhanced Cygnus[1][2]
ManufacturerOrbital ATK
Thales Alenia Space
Start of mission
Launch dateMay 31, 2016[3]
RocketAntares 230[3][4]
Launch siteMARS LP-0A
ContractorOrbital ATK
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Inclination51.6 degrees
EpochPlanned
Berthing at ISS
Berthing portUnity nadir[4]

Cygnus CRS OA-5, also known as Orbital Sciences CRS Flight 5, is the seventh planned flight of the Orbital Sciences' unmanned resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its sixth flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.[5][6] Orbital and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) program, Orbital designed and built Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced maneuvering spacecraft, and a Pressurized Cargo Module which is provided by Orbital's industrial partner Thales Alenia Space.[7]

History

The COTS demonstration mission was successfully conducted in September 2013, and Orbital commenced operational ISS cargo missions under the Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) program with two missions in 2014. Regrettably, the third operational mission, Orb CRS-3, resulted was not successful due to spectacular Antares failure during launch. The company decided to discontinue the Antares 100 series and accelerate the introduction of a new propulsion. The Antares system will be upgraded with newly built RD-181 first stage engines to provide greater payload performance and increased reliability.[8]

In the mean time, the company has contracted with United Launch Alliance for an Atlas V launch of Orb OA-4 in late 2015 from Cape Canaveral, FL, with a second Atlas V Cygnus launch in 2016.[8][9] The company has planned Cygnus missions for the first (CRS OA-6), second (CRS OA-5) and fourth quarters (CRS OA-7) of 2016. OA-5 and OA-7 will fly on the new Antares 230 and OA-6 will fly on second Atlas V in first quarter of 2016. These three missions will enable Orbital ATK to cover their initial CRS contracted payload obligation.[9] This particular mission is known as OA-5.

Production and integration of Cygnus spacecraft is performed in Dulles, VA. The Cygnus service module is mated with the pressurized cargo module at the launch site, and mission operations are conducted from control centers in Dulles and Houston.[7]

Spacecraft

Main article: Cygnus (spacecraft)

This is the sixth of ten flights by Orbital Sciences under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. This will be the third flight of the Enhanced sized Cygnus PCM.[9] The mission is expected to launch no earlier than Junw 24, 2016.[3][10]

Manifest

Total weight of cargo: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb)[2]

  • Crew supplies: 0 pounds (0 kg)
    • Crew care packages
    • Crew provisions
    • Food
  • Hardware: 0 pounds (0 kg)
  • Science and research: 0 pounds (0 kg)
    • CubeSat
    • Human Research Program resupply
  • Computer supplies: 0 pounds (0 kg)
  • Spacewalk tools: 0 pounds (0 kg)

Other OA projects

NASA has not confirmed the future 2016 launch dates, but initial ISS planning has an additional Cygnus flight anticipated for 2016. OA-7 flight on October 4, 2016. The OA-8 flight (OA-8E) has tentatively been scheduled for June 9, 2017. The schedules in late 2016 and 2017 are dynamic, due to the first manned commercial flights (SpaceX, Boeing) to ISS.[6][11]

References

  1. ^ Bergin, Chris (February 22, 2012). "Space industry giants Orbital upbeat ahead of Antares debut". NasaSpaceflight (not affiliated with NASA). Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Orbital ATK Team on Track for Fall 2015 Cygnus Mission and Antares Return to Flight in 2016". Orbital ATK. August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Launch Schedule". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Scimemi, Sam (July 2015). "International Space Station Status" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  5. ^ "Worldwide launch schedule". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "International Space Station Flight Schedule". Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. May 15, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Cygnus Fact Sheet" (PDF). Orbital ATK. March 24, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Gebhardt, Chris (August 14, 2015). "Orbital ATK make progress toward Return To Flight of Antares rocket". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Leone, Dan (August 17, 2015). "NASA Orders Two More ISS Cargo Missions From Orbital ATK". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference nasaheoc-scimemi201603 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk (August 18, 2015). "Cygnus-PCM (enhanced)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
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