WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spaceship is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said.
"Cygnus is expected, if all goes to plan, to arrive at its capture point 12m from the ISS 8 minutes prior to the first capture attempt by ISS Commander Tim Kopra. Kopra will use the Station’s 17.5m Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) robotic arm to grab hold of Cygnus at approximately 06:40 EDT [10:40 GMT]," NASA said on Friday.
The Cygnus spacecraft was launched on Tuesday, March 22, atop an Atlas V rocket, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Cygnus is carrying approximately 3,600 kilograms (almost 8,000 pounds) of cargo, along with several small satellites.
The current Cygnus delivery flight is the fifth resupply mission to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with Orbital ATK.
