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Cygnus Launches In First Mission Since Antares Rocket Explosion (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader writes: An Atlas V rocket carrying a Cygnus cargo spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station has lifted off from Cape Canaveral. This is the first flight of the Cygnus since the previous spacecraft was destroyed during an Antares rocket explosion in 2014. Ars reports: "Sunday's successful launch was the fourth attempt this week to get CRS Orb-4 into space. Three previous launch attempts—one per day since Thursday—were scrubbed due to foul weather at Cape Canaveral. The CRS-4 Cygnus capsule is currently en route to the ISS, carrying about 7300 pounds (about 3300kg) of food, hardware, and scientific equipment for the Expedition 44 crew on board the ISS (which includes US astronaut Scott Kelly, who is more than halfway through a year-long stay aboard the station)."
I remember when Cygnus was a major name in writing FOSS for Linux and Unix platforms until Red Hat acquired them. They've really taken off since then - literally - by the look of it, given where they are today
Potatos. Nothing but potatos.
Have gnu, will travel.
Maybe because ULA has been gouging the Air Force and NASA doesn't want to get stuck in the same boat? The Air Force is still trying to phase out the Billion dollars a year they pay to ULA for "assured space access". At the same time their launch costs have at least 166%.
It's hard to decipher what snark the AC parent is trying to say, but the Atlas which ULA provided for this launch uses Russian engines in the first stage so he needs to revise his second witty remark to make even a semblance of sense.
A Soyuz launched mission failed just last April, carrying a Progress 27M spacecraft meant for a resupply mission to the ISS.
http://spaceflightnow.com/2015...
"Roscosmos said in a statement Wednesday that mission control lost communications with the Progress spacecraft 1.5 seconds before the cargo carrier’s planned separation from the third stage of its Soyuz launcher."
"A report by Russia’s Tass news agency Wednesday claimed the RD-0110 engine burned longer than designed during Tuesday’s launch, citing a source from the engine’s manufacturer."
I know its popular to hate on cyngus for basically recycling unused parts, but you gotta give it to them, at least they slap together this stuff into something workable. Sure it might blow up from time to time, but its better than letting the stuff rot in a warehouse.
A Soyuz launched mission failed just last April, carrying a Progress 27M spacecraft meant for a resupply mission to the ISS."
True, however, Soyuz still have a much higher reliability rate and have been in use since before Gagarin went up.
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
What they don't show you is that they used duct tape to secure the pointy bits to the big ol' rocket that launched into space. Lots and lots of duct tape!
(I'm not a rocket surgeon.)
"So long and thanks for all the fish."