Awesome Image from Space: Cygnus Mass Simulator Separates from Orbital's Antares Rocket

By Nancy Atkinson - April 24, 2013 at 6:33 PM UTC | Missions
Antares-Payload-Separation-LG.jpg

This image almost looks like an artist's concept, but is an actual photo taken by a camera on board Orbital Science's Antares rocket showing the Cygnus mass simulator shortly after separation from the rocket's upper stage.

Antares

launched on April 21

for its first test flight – dubbed the A-One mission. The goal of the flight was to test the fully integrated Antares rocket and boost a simulated version of the Cygnus cargo carrier into a target orbit of 250 x 300 kilometers and inclined 51.6 degrees.

Antares also sent a trio of off-the-shelf-smartphone "PhoneSats" to orbit. The three picture-taking satellites are named Alexander, Graham and Bell and are some of the lowest-cost satellites ever flown in space.

Orbital says that both the mass simulator and the upper stage are expected to stay in orbit for several months before their orbits degrade, causing them to re-enter and burn up in the atmosphere.

A test flight of an actual Cygnus capsule is expected later this year, and is currently scheduled for June 2013.

Source:

Orbital Science Corporation

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com