Space Station Resupply Launch Set for Thursday
Monday, December 16, 2013
By: Matthew Peddie

December 16th, 2013 | WMFE- NASA says it's working towards enabling a launch on Thursday of a rocket carrying supplies for the International Space Station. Engineers are still trying to fix a problem with the space station's cooling system before that launch can go ahead.

[Cygnus on a demonstration mission, September 2013. Photo courtesy of NASA]

Orbital Sciences’ Cygnus spacecraft is set to launch from Wallops field in Virginia at 9:19pm Thursday.

The spacecraft was initially scheduled to lift off Wednesday, but the launch was pushed back to allow engineers more time to fix the cooling loop on the space station.

The loop was shut down last week when a pump malfunctioned.

The ISS has two external loops that work by circulating ammonia through giant radiators to keep equipment cool inside and outside the station.

While engineers on the ground work to try and trouble-shoot the problem, astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins are also preparing for a series of spacewalks beginning Thursday to replace the faulty pump- if necessary.

In the meantime, some equipment on board the ISS has been switched off to reduce heat while the cooling loop is out of action.

Orbital Sciences has a contract with NASA to ferry cargo to and from the space station- this will be the company’s first contracted resupply mission.

SpaceX began flying cargo with its Dragon capsule from the Kennedy Space Center last year.