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Orbital Announces Delay in Launching Cygnus Space Capsule

Additional work needs to be done at the proposed launch pad

Feb 24, 2012 12:51 GMT  ·  By
This is a rendition of a Taurus 2 rocket blasting off from the NASA Wallops spaceport, in Virginia
   This is a rendition of a Taurus 2 rocket blasting off from the NASA Wallops spaceport, in Virginia

Officials from the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) announced on February 21 that the Cygnus space capsule will not be launched to space before late August or September, about four months after the initial deadline.

The delay is primarily caused by the fact that additional work and repairs need to be carried out at the launch pad that will host the Taurus 2 delivery systems on which Cygnus is attached. The pad is located at a NASA facility in Wallops Island, Virginia.

OSC is developing both the capsule and the rocket under a contract with the American space agency. In order to continue receiving funds, the company needs to stick to some milestone. That is to say, it has to complete certain objectives at predetermined intervals.

With the new delay, Orbital falls about four months behind schedule, but representatives from the company are convinced that their team will be able to catch up with that. However, the company does not acknowledge blame for the delay, saying that others are guilty for this situation.

OSC representatives say that the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority is keeping the company from moving forward with the launch. The VCSFA is responsible for modifying the Wallops launch pad so that the installation can support Taurus 2 launches.

David W. Thompson, OSC's CEO, told investors in a recent conference that not even September is a certain launch date. He explained that a large number of milestones still need to be completed before launch becomes possible.

Any additional delays in reaching those milestones could result in the launch date slipping even further, maybe even into 2013, Space reports. Some of these milestones include the completion of propellant handling and pressurization systems, which need to go on the launch pad as soon as possible.

According to OSC, the first stage of the Taurus 2 delivery system should be delivered to the Wallops launch pad as early as May. By June/July, the rocket should carry out its first test flight, without the Cygnus spacecraft attached.

OSC is developing the two vehicles under a contract to supply cargo to the International Space Station.