ORB-6, the 6th OrbitalATK Cygnus cargo freighter on its 5th operational CRS flight to ISS.
Launcher configuration: Atlas V 401 (4 meter fairing, 0 solids and a 1 engine Centaur upper stage)
OATK is launching on Atlas V while they continue development of their Antares 200 series launcher, which replaces the defective NK-33 Russian engines which caused the October 2014 ORB-3 explosion.
The new Antares will use 2 NPO Energomash RD-181 engines, which are a commercial evolution of the RD-191 engines used on Russia's Angara A5 launcher.
OATK is considering dumping Russian engines entirely, producing a lower stage consisting of a composite solid rocket booster made by its ATK division. This would leverage techs used for their lightweight Dark Knight solids, a proposed upgrade for the NASA Space Launch System.
Cygnus configuration: Enhanced (3 hull segments)
Cygnus name: SS Rick Husband
Launch date: Oct. 22 (Oct 23 GMT)
Launch window: 2305:48 - 2335 E, 0305:48 - 0335 GMT
Launch site: LC-41
Webcasts
NASA TV (uStream mirror)
uStream NASA TV channel
A YouTube Live Event may, or may not, appear on NASA Kennedy's channel shortly before T-0
Launcher configuration: Atlas V 401 (4 meter fairing, 0 solids and a 1 engine Centaur upper stage)
OATK is launching on Atlas V while they continue development of their Antares 200 series launcher, which replaces the defective NK-33 Russian engines which caused the October 2014 ORB-3 explosion.
The new Antares will use 2 NPO Energomash RD-181 engines, which are a commercial evolution of the RD-191 engines used on Russia's Angara A5 launcher.
OATK is considering dumping Russian engines entirely, producing a lower stage consisting of a composite solid rocket booster made by its ATK division. This would leverage techs used for their lightweight Dark Knight solids, a proposed upgrade for the NASA Space Launch System.
Cygnus configuration: Enhanced (3 hull segments)
Cygnus name: SS Rick Husband
Launch date: Oct. 22 (Oct 23 GMT)
Launch window: 2305:48 - 2335 E, 0305:48 - 0335 GMT
Launch site: LC-41
Webcasts
NASA TV (uStream mirror)
uStream NASA TV channel
A YouTube Live Event may, or may not, appear on NASA Kennedy's channel shortly before T-0
