At 11.05 p.m. EDT today ( 3.05 a.m. GMT tomorrow ) , a new spacecraft is set to launch to the International Space Station ( ISS ) with a boniface of new science on display panel .
The Orbital ATK Cygnus ballistic capsule is schedule to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida , the 5th planned consignment flight of stairs for the Cygnus vehicle ( the third , on October 28 , 2014,explodedshortly after liftoff ) . The flight will be aboard an Atlas 5 rocket , with Orbital ’s Antares fleet still ground while investigations into the blowup continue .
The launch itself will be yet another feather in the cap for NASA ’s successful individual spacefaring computer programme , but it ’s what Cygnus is carrying that ’s really of interest . This is the orotund scientific discipline shipment ever made by a Cygnus vehicle , with 3.2 tonnes ( 3.5 tons ) of cargo on board .
" It ’s like Christmas when a provision craft arrives , " articulate Orbital ATK ’s Dan Tani , senior theater director of mission consignment and mathematical operation , in astatement . " It ’s always fun to catch another vehicle approach and then it ’s like opening a box seat of goodies and finding some stuff you ’ve been want and some surprises you did n’t know about . "
The launch will be streamed live on NASA TV , above
include is a new 3D printer from Made In Space call theAdditive Manufacturing Facility , which is an upgraded version of a pressman already on the station . NASA will use the printing machine to make portion on the station with a variety of material , while Made In Space also has plans for private companies on the ground to use it to publish enquiry equipment on the ISS , rather than sending it on a launching .
Another interesting piece of equipment being launch on this mission isSaffire . When Cygnus undocks from the ISS following its mission , it is normally sent to burn up in the atmosphere , as it miss the power to return to the earth like SpaceX ’s Dragon . However , before that happen on this mission , Saffire will start a fire in a small box seat inside the unmanned Cygnus to see how fervidness behaves in space . This could be crucial in work out how to make do with potential fires on long - duration military mission , such as to Mars .
This is the first of three Saffire missions planned for Cygnus spacecraft . And it will be heavy than any such experimentation done before , with a corporeal 1 meter long ( 3 foot long ) and 0.4 meter wide ( 1 foot ) arrange aflame . instrument on board will supervise the fire , have a bun in the oven to last six minutes , which will be perform when Cygnus is safely aside from the station four hours after undocking . ( Check out a telecasting of how it will workhere . )
demo is the Atlas V rocket ahead of the launching . NASA TV
Elsewhere we ’ve gotMeteor , an instrument that will perform the first scientific observance of meteors introduce Earth ’s atmosphere from space . High - resolving power video and images will appropriate scientists on the reason to study the forcible and chemical belongings of meteoroid junk , helping us understand the fundamental interaction of meteor with Earth ’s atmosphere . It could also help us supervise meteor that we ca n’t track from the ground .
But hold off , there ’s more . Cygnus also carries theGecko Gripper , a raw case of adhesive based on the hairs of geckos that the cosmonaut on panel the ISS will examine out , while two dozen small nanosatellites will also be let go in outer space during the delegation . Strata-1 , meanwhile , will investigate how soil from small celestial bodies , such as asteroid , behaves in microgravity .
So , phew . That ’s a great deal of science . And there ’s enough more , not only on display panel Cygnus , but already on the post , and also on the upcoming Russian Progress and SpaceX Dragon delegacy . NASA is keen to apply the ISS as much as possible , which is why they are hoping to resurrect the work party issue fromsix to seven , to increase the amount of research like this that can be done
