KYIV. Oct 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine and the U.S. are renewing cooperation in fulfilling the NASA contract to provide space equipment services (CRS) for the International Space Station. The modernized rocket booster of the medium class Antares launched from a U.S. flight facility on Monday.
The information center of the state-run Yangel Pivdenne Design Bureau (Dnipropetrovsk) said the Antares rocket with Cygnus space transporter on Tuesday, October 18 blasted off from an island off the coast of Virginia at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
The Cygnus transporter will deliver around 2.4 tons of useful gear: provisions, food and scientific equipment to the International Space Station (ISS). It will also utilize waste from the orbiting laboratory.
Tuesday’s launch was the sixth mission to deliver cargo to the ISS by Orbital ATK, a company contracted by NASA to ferry cargo to the ISS through 2018. At least five more launches are scheduled before then, and six more from 2019 to 2024.
Ukraine and the U.S. continue negotiations on cooperation in rocket propulsion engine production.
