Six companies aim to build ground prototypes of deep space habitat concepts through NASA‘s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 program. NASA said Friday prototypes from Bigelow Aerospace, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada Corp. and NanoRacks will help the agency assess configurations of proposed habitats and support tests that will validate standards and common interfaces currently under consideration. All […] More

The International Space Station has delivered a cube satellite with a global positioning system payload, developed by Australia’s space engineering research center and the University of New South Wales, to orbit using a NanoRacks deployer. The Australian defense department said Tuesday the Namaru GPS technology on board the U.S.-built Biarri-Point cubesat will support on-orbit research activities. Australia’s defense science and technology […] More

An Orbital ATK-built Cygnus spacecraft has departed from the International Space Station to conduct three secondary payload missions as part of its next mission phase. The company said Sunday that the S.S. John Glenn will perform NASA‘s Spacecraft Fire Experiment-III experiment which will monitor the behavior of fires in microgravity. “The experiment will intentionally ignite and record a large-scale […] More

SpaceX has rescheduled to June 3 the launch of a Dragon spacecraft that will bring crew supplies, scientific research and equipment to the International Space Station, USA Today reported Thursday. The company’s 11th cargo resupply mission was originally slated for deployment on Thursday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA said the new […] More

An Orbital ATK-built Cygnus spacecraft has departed from the International Space Station after a commercial resupply mission to start two secondary mission objectives. The S.S. Alan Poindexter spacecraft will launch the Spacecraft Fire Experiment-II to help study the behavior of fires in microgravity, then deploy CubeSats into orbit to support weather forecasting, Orbital ATK said Monday. The space vehicle […] More

Matt Simon, habitation lead for NASA’s Evolvable Mars Campaign, has said the agency  wants a similar structure for future deep space modules that will serve as transit and surface habitats for Mars and moon explorations, Ars Technica reported Wednesday. Eric Berger writes Simon told the publication deep space habitats from the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnership […] More

The Orbital ATK-built Cygnus spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station to deliver approximately 5,300 pounds of crew supplies, scientific experiments and laboratory equipment. The S.S. Alan Poindexter space vehicle reached ISS Sunday and completed berthing procedures seven days after it launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to mark Orbital ATK’s sixth cargo delivery mission […] More

An Orbital ATK-built spacecraft lifted off Monday onboard the company’s updated Antares 230 rocket to deliver more than 5,100 pounds of scientific instruments and crew supplies to the International Space Station. NASA said Monday the Cygnus spacecraft’s launch from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia marks Orbital ATK’s sixth cargo delivery mission to the ISS under the Commercial Resupply Services contract and […] More

Orbital ATK‘s Cygnus spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time after it performed three in-orbit scientific missions and delivered approximately 7,900 pounds of scientific experiments and crew supplies to the International Space Station. The atmospheric re-entry of the space vehicle, also known as S.S. Rick Husband, loaded with 4,087 pounds of items for disposal marks the company’s […] More

Orbital ATK‘s cargo ship Cygnus is set to proceed with three in-orbit scientific missions after the spacecraft completed its mission to deliver around 7,900 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. Cygnus, nicknamed S.S. Rick Husband, departed from the orbiting laboratory Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time after an 81-day stay there, Orbital ATK said Tuesday. The OA-6 mission represents the company’s fifth mission under […] More

An Orbital ATK-built spacecraft lifted off Sunday onboard a United Launch Alliance-made Atlas V rocket to deliver over 7,000 pounds of crew supplies and scientific instruments to the International Space Station. NASA said Sunday the Cygnus OA-4 space vehicle’s launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station marks Orbital ATK’s fourth cargo delivery mission to the […] More