Orbital ATK's Cygnus ISS cargo spacecraft all set for Thursday launch

Washington: NASA’s commercial partner Orbital ATK received a 'go ahead' for the launch of its Cygnus spacecraft to the orbit on Thursday, December 3, atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

The flight, called CRS-4, is the fourth contracted resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

According to NASA, liftoff is scheduled for 5:55 p.m. EST, Thursday, December 3, from Space Launch Complex 41, the beginning of a 30-minute window.

The Cygnus cargo spacecraft will deliver more than 7,000 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

After arriving at the station, crew members Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren will use the station’s robotic arm to capture Cygnus. It will be the first cargo ship to be berthed to the Earth-facing port on the Unity module.

The spacecraft, which will spend more than a month attached to the space station, will dispose of approximate 3,000 pounds of trash when it makes a destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere in January.