Cygnus Cargo Ship Delivers Holiday Goodies and Science Gear to Space Station

[Judi Lynn]

By Hanneke Weitering, Space.com Staff Writer | November 14, 2017 05:27am ET

A Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today (Nov. 14) to deliver food, supplies and some fascinating science experiments to the Expedition 53 astronauts.

Orbital ATK, a private spaceflight contracted by NASA to fly cargo to the ISS, named this Cygnus spacecraft the S.S. Gene Cernan in honor of the late NASA astronaut and last person to walk on the moon.

After launching from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, on an Antares rocket Sunday (Nov. 12), Cygnus spent about 45 hours catching up to the ISS, which orbits about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth at a speed of about 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h). [In Photos: Orbital ATK's OA-8 Cygnus Cargo Launch to Space Station]

This was the shortest amount of time that a Cygnus spacecraft has spent flying to the ISS from liftoff to rendezvous, Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK's Advanced Programs Division, said at a news conference at Wallops Flight Facility Saturday (Nov. 11).

More:
https://www.space.com/38768-cygnus-oa8-delivers-supplies-to-space-station.html?utm_source=notification

[longship]

1. Gene Cernan!

The last person to leave footprints on the Moon.

There are few of the Apollo astronauts left.

Buzz. Lovell. Not many others.

R&K