Launch News Orbital's Antares Maiden Flight & ORB-D "G. David Low" Cygnus Demo updates.

[Urwumpe]

The launch team is looking at an issue with the RP-1 fuel system on the Antares rocket's first stage, which is manufactured by Yuzhnoye in Ukraine.

Do they delay the launch by a day? Yes? Please, let them delay it for a day...

 

[Fabri91]

The vehicle is being fueled.

 

[MattBaker]

Do they delay the launch by a day? Yes? Please, let them delay it for a day...

I can give you a new launch time: 14:58 GMT.:tiphat:

 

[IronRain]

All stations are green at this moment.

 

[Donamy]

any video feed yet?

 

[orb]

NASA TV

Spaceflight Now (NASA TV)

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Here's to a very NOMINAL flight for Antares till Cygnus separation and Cygnus till de-orbit burn!

 

[MattBaker]

The Wallops Range is now green after officials evacuated four homes near the Antares launch pad. This was to avoid a safety issue due to a concern the blast from the launch could damage public buildings.

That just sounds so Russian.

 

[IronRain]

My setup at my internship:

(I won't tell my girlfriend that I'm actually able to multitask..)

 

[IronRain]

Vehicle on internal power, everything is go for launch.

 

[Capt_hensley]

It's in orbit and all is go

 

[orb]

Video replay of the launch

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmNeVNN9-04"]Cygnus Launch - Sept. 18, 2013 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[RGClark]

Cygnus Launch - Sept. 18, 2013 - YouTube

Here's to a successful docking!

Bob Clark

 

[Kyle]

Awesome! Congratulations to OSC for the "swan" flight.

 

[Unstung]

In HD and with a smooth framerate:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s9jXCnL1ig"]The Launch of Cygnus![/ame]

"Cygnus will spend the next few days raising its orbit and conducting demonstration tasks, which include tests of its GPS and ability to free drift and abort. It is expected to arrive at the International Space Station on Sunday, with capture scheduled for 7:17 a.m." - The Planetary Society

 

[Kyle]

Orbital:

Cygnus successfully completed its first Delta V burn to raise its orbit which lasted approximately 7 minutes. All systems continue to behave normally. The next major event will be the performance of a free drift and abort demonstration scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EDT.

 

[N_Molson]

Nice one ! :thumbup:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

LOTS of happy people here in Sacramento. The engines did their job well, now the folks at Aerojet get to start on the next set of engines.

 

[Unstung]

This makes converting a camera to capture near-infrared appear tempting:

The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard, is seen in this false color infrared image, as it launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. Cygnus is on its way to rendezvous with the space station. The spacecraft will deliver about 1,300 pounds (589 kilograms) of cargo, including food and clothing, to the Expedition 37 crew.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Editor's Note: This image is a false color infrared image made from a modified digital SLR camera.

 

[Kyle]

http://www.orbital.com/Antares-Cygnus/

On Friday, September 20 , the team will conduct Delta V burn #4 to raise Cygnus' orbit to within 4 km of the ISS orbit altitude. If needed, an additional burn may be conducted in Saturday, September 21, to "fine tune" Cygnus' orbit.