After waiting out the adverse weather conditions for three days, NASA finally launched the Atlas 5 launch vehicle (Atlas V) and the cargo ship Cygnus (Cygnus). The start was made on Sunday, December 6, 2015.
After an eight-month break, Atlas 5 and Cygnus (Cygnus) headed for Orbital Space Station. Previous experience ended badly: on October 28, 2014, the Antares launch vehicle exploded shortly after launch.
Previously, the company decided to replace the problematic Soviet engines that caused the catastrophe.
On December 6, 2015, on Sunday, a 194 foot long Atlas rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch was carried out exactly at 4:44 pm EST. The event should have happened earlier, but three-day winds and rains delayed the launch of the device. Frank Culbertson, president of Space Systems Group Orbital, thanked the entire team after it was reported that Cygnus (Cygnus) had been safely put into orbit.
On board Cygnus are more than 7, 700 pounds (3, 3 tons) of food, clothing, equipment for scientific research and other devices. All this will arrive at the station on Wednesday.
Orbital (Orbital) is one of two companies that collaborate with the US Space Agency NASA and deliver cargo to orbit (since 2011, shuttles are no longer used). The second company, SpaceX, also suspended work after the October disaster, but is going to resume its activities this month.
