Cygnus Cargo Ship Makes Return-to-Flight Launch for NASA Today: Watch It Live

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Space.com

by Sarah Lewin, Staff Writer | December 03, 2015 07:00am ET

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Orbital ATK's unmanned Cygnus spacecraft is set to embark upon its return-to-flight mission tonight (Dec. 3), carrying more than 7,700 lbs. (3500 kilograms) of research materials, crew supplies and hardware for the International Space Station — and you can watch the liftoff live.

The Cygnus is scheduled to launch at 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, in the first liftoff for the freighter since Orbital's Antares rocket explodedduring a cargo delivery last October. (Cygus will fly atop an Atlas V until a revamped version of Antares is ready to go.) The launch will initiate the fourth of eight resupply missions Orbital ATK is flying under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA. The live webcast of the OA-4 mission will begin at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT), and you can watch it here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV.

As of this morning, there's a 60 percent chance that weather conditions will be favorable for the launch, U.S. Air Force officials reported. If the launch occurs on schedule, the spacecraft will reach the space station Sunday, Dec. 6, where NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren will take point on capturing it via the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm, assisted by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly. If weather conditions worsen, the team will attempt to launch again tomorrow (Dec. 4) for a Dec. 7 or Dec. 8 arrival. {Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Ready For Return To Flight (Video)}

Read more: http://www.space.com/31266-private-cygnus-cargo-spacecraft-launch-webcast.html

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December 3? That was yesterday. But: Thursday's launch was scrubbed. The launch has been rescheduled for Friday.

What makes this newsworthy is that (I think) residents on the East Coast of the U.S. will be able to see the launch, as the rocket's trajectory is up the East Coast.

NASA TV Coverage Set for Orbital ATK Resupply Mission to Space Station

That link goes to an article posted on Tuesday. If you go to today's (Friday's) NASA TV schedule, they have live coverage of the launch scheduled for this afternoon.

Orbital ATK

Commercial Resupply Mission to the International Space Station

Forecast Upgraded to 40 Percent ‘Go’

Posted on December 4, 2015 at 11:40 am by Steven Siceloff.

Air Force meteorologists offered an improved weather forecast for Friday’s launch of the Orbital ATK CRS-4 resupply mission to the International Space Station. The likelihood of acceptable conditions has grown to 40 percent for launch time at 5:33 p.m. EST, the start of a 30-minute window. Our continuous countdown and launch coverage of the cargo-laden Cygnus spacecraft atop an Atlas V rocket will begin at 4:30 p.m. on this blog and on NASA TV, which can be linked from here or streamed at www.nasa.gov/ntv

[edbermac]

1. Scrubbed, too windy.

[nitpicker]

2. From space.com: try try again

Thorp and his colleagues will try again Saturday (Dec. 5) at 5:10 p.m. EST (2210 GMT). You can watch the launch attempt live at Space.com beginning at 4:00 p.m. EST (2100 GMT), courtesy of NASA TV.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Thanks. I will try to see something, if I can.

I recalled my own post in time to be looking for the launch yesterday (Friday), though I wasn't in the best place. I was on the National Mall, about one-third of the way from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. The view to the east was obscured by the Capitol and further, by its elevated position on Jenkins Hill.

Edited, right away, after visiting the NASA website. Now the launch has been scheduled for Sunday at 4:44 p.m. That's just before sunset in DC.

Launch Moves to Sunday: Forecast 40 Percent ‘Go’

Posted on December 5, 2015 at 2:21 pm by Steven Siceloff.

The launch of Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station has moved to Sunday at 4:44 p.m. EST, the start of a 30-minute launch window for the uncrewed spacecraft to begin it mission. Countdown and launch coverage will begin here on the NASA Blog and on NASA TV at 3:45 p.m.