“We are very proud to be back in this position of getting ready to launch supplies to the International Space Station again,” said Frank Culbertson, president of the Space Systems Group at Orbital ATK, which developed the Cygnus and Antares, on Wednesday. “It’s been a challenge to get back to this point.”
Orbital ATK and United Launch Alliance pulled this flight together within a year of first discussing a partnership, enabling the Cygnus to return to flight months before the Antares could be re-fitted with new engines.
Orbital ATK's Cygnus craft is packed with more than 7,000 pounds of food, spare parts and science experiments for the ISS and its six-person crew. The mission is Orbital ATK’s fourth of 10 under a NASA resupply contract worth more than $2 billion.
When the rocket does blast off, it will mark the 60th launch of an Atlas V rocket and the 30th launch of the rocket's 401 configuration, but it's the first time this type of rocket will ever launch a cargo ship to the International Space Station.
