Spacecraft
Cygnus
Cargo Spacecraft
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Cygnus is an expendable, uncrewed American cargo spacecraft that delivers supplies to the International Space Station and disposes of station waste through a controlled destructive reentry. It first flew a demonstration mission in September 2013 under Orbital Sciences Corporation, and has been operated by Northrop Grumman since that company's 2018 acquisition of Orbital ATK, Orbital Sciences's successor. Cygnus has also performed station-keeping reboosts using its own engine and, in its newest Cygnus XL variant, can carry up to 5,000 kilograms of cargo.
Facts
Spacecraft TypeUncrewed cargo spacecraft 1 ManufacturerNorthrop Grumman (originally Orbital Sciences Corporation) 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Operated By
Operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation 2013-2015, its successor Orbital ATK 2015-2018, and Northrop Grumman since Northrop's 2018 acquisition of Orbital ATK; stated explicitly as predecessor-institution history, not a silent anachronism.
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationCygnus (spacecraft) article, overviewQuote, Cygnus (spacecraft) article, overview
an expendable American uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationCygnus (spacecraft) article, demonstration flight sectionQuote, Cygnus (spacecraft) article, demonstration flight section
The first Cygnus demonstration mission launched on September 18, 2013, aboard an Antares rocket
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationCygnus (spacecraft) article, current operator section
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