Cygnus CRS-8 (OA-8, SS Gene Cernan)

Spacecraft data: Prime manufacturer  Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) Platform   Operator  NASA Mass at launch   kg Cargo Mass   kg Basic shape   Dimension (m)   Equipment  2 deployable solar arrays Solar array   Stabilization   Propulsion  IHI BT-4 DC power

Description:

• CYGNUS OA-8, also known as Orbital Sciences CRS Flight 8, is the ninth flight of the Orbital ATK unmanned resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its eight flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Orbital and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) program, then Orbital Sciences designed and built Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced maneuvering spacecraft, and a Pressurized Cargo Module which is provided by Orbital′s industrial partner Thales Alenia Space.

Mission details:

• On Nov 12, 2017 OrbitalATK launched the Cygnus OA-8 cargo mission, SS Gene Cernan, on an Antares 230 from the Wallops MARS (Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport).
  The Cernan arrived at ISS on Nov 14. It carried the EcAMSat and TechEdSat-6 cubesats and others.
  
  

  Cygnus-OA8 grapple

  Cygnus-OA8 depature

  
  
• Cygnus OA-8 (SS Gene Cernan) was unberthed from Unity at 1752 UTC Dec 5, 2017 and released into orbit at 1311 UTC Dec 6.
• On Dec 6 it raised its orbit from 402 x 407 km to 447 x 456 km. It then deployed 14 cubesats on Dec 6 and 7, and lowered its orbit on Dec 8 to 384 x 396 km, below the ISS. The ship remained in orbit for tests until it was deorbited on Dec 18, with entry over the South Pacific at 1254 UTC.

External links:

• Cygnus fact sheet

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Wallops Island.

Launch cancel KERAVA (Finland). Credit: #421

Docking cancel Wallops Island.

Undocking cancel Wallops Island.