(Wallops Island, VA 15 December 2013) – Today, Orbital Sciences Corporation’s (NYSE: ORB) Cygnus team has been authorized to load the final cargo in the Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM ). The cargo contains about 95kg of time-sensitive items consisting primarily of science payloads. We expect to finish loading the cargo later this afternoon, followed by about twelve hours of Cygnus closeouts including a purge of the air in the PCM, the final closing of the hatch, and leak checks. Installation of the Antares payload fairing is scheduled to occur on Monday.
Loading the final cargo today allows us to continue to target a launch on December 19. However, NASA is still assessing the thermal control issue on the space station, and a final determination to launch has not yet been made. If NASA gives us the go-ahead to proceed, rollout of Antares to the pad will take place early Tuesday morning.
About Orbital
Orbital develops and manufactures small- and medium-class rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company’s primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also provides satellite subsystems and space-related technical services to government agencies and laboratories. More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com. Follow the company on Twitter @OrbitalSciences.
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