Unmanned Cargo Ship Reaches ISS On Resupply Mission (telegraph.co.uk)

An anonymous reader writes: NASA partner Orbital ATK reports an unmanned cargo shipped has successfully docked at the ISS, delivering 7,900 lbs (3.6 metric tons) worth of supplies for the crew of six astronauts. The supplies consisted of food, water, clothes, and materials needed for scientific research such as a new 3D printer and Gecko Gripper. The operation was over by 1452 GMT as the space station's robotic arm, operated by crew members, captured Cygnus and guided it into its berthing port. Orbital has launched five supply missions to the ISS as part of a $1.9 billion contract with NASA. "Our flexible Cygnus spacecraft has a lot of work left to do. Following its stay at the ISS, and for the first time, we will undertake three experiments onboard the unmanned spacecraft," said Frank Culbertson, president of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group.

Comments

Re: Aren't almost all the deliveries unmanned ?

[Anonymous Coward]

The SLS is using the space shuttle engines (RS-25d from the space shuttles...the new ones will be RS-25e and are planned when NASA uses up all the remaining space shuttle engines currently). The uprated F1 is still in "maybe" mode to replace the solid boosters the SLS is going to start out with. But ATK is throwing a fit at the F1 idea currently. The tests of the F1 are for liquid strap on boosters for the SLS.