{"id":70285,"date":"2017-03-09T21:48:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T01:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-398323"},"modified":"2023-07-26T14:52:40","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T18:52:40","slug":"orbital-atk-dedicates-cygnus-spacecraft-to-john-glenn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/astronauts\/former-astronauts\/orbital-atk-dedicates-cygnus-spacecraft-to-john-glenn\/","title":{"rendered":"Orbital ATK Dedicates Cygnus Spacecraft to John Glenn"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\"><div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\"><p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">4 min read<\/p><h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">Orbital ATK Dedicates Cygnus Spacecraft to John Glenn<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?w=1365\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"S.S. John Glenn sign and Cygnus spacecraft\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg 4480w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=683,1024 683w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=267,400 267w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=400,600 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=600,900 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=800,1200 800w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?resize=1333,2000 1333w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft named for Sen. John Glenn, one of NASA’s original seven astronauts, stands inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida behind a sign commemorating Glenn.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credits: NASA\/Kim Shiflett<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>A supply spacecraft set to carry thousands of pounds of experiments and equipment to the International Space Station will also carry the name John Glenn, Orbital ATK said Thursday during a ceremony dedicating the mission to the first American to orbit the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJohn Glenn was probably responsible for more students studying math and science and being interested in space than anyone,\u201d said former astronaut Brian Duffy, Orbital ATK\u2019s vice president of Exploration Systems. \u201cWhen he flew into space in 1962, there was not a child then who didn\u2019t know his name. He\u2019s the one that opened up space for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Glenn, who passed away in December at age 95, was one of NASA\u2019s original seven astronauts. After making his landmark orbital mission in February 1962, he served as a U.S. senator from Ohio. After retiring from politics, Glenn made his second spaceflight in 1998 as part of the STS-95 crew flying space shuttle Discovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The spacecraft will carry 7,600 pounds of cargo to the station and will be lifted into space atop a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ulalaunch.com\/Products_AtlasV.aspx\" rel=\"noopener\">United Launch Alliance Atlas V<\/a> rocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re building the bridge to history with these missions,\u201d said Vernon Thorp, ULA\u2019s program manager for Commercial Missions. \u201cEvery mission is fantastic and every mission is unique. At the end of the day every one of these missions is critical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lifting off from Space Launch Complex 41 on March 19 at 10:56 p.m. EDT, the rocket will place the spacecraft on a precise path to reach the space station about four days later. Cygnus, operated by the Orbital ATK mission team, will approach close enough for the station\u2019s 55-foot-long robotic arm to grapple the supply craft and connect it to one of the ports on the orbiting laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The spacecraft, powered by its own set of solar arrays, will remain connected to the station until June. During that time, astronauts will unload the Cygnus, including research dedicated to range of fields such as astronomy,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.genesinspace.org\" rel=\"noopener\"> biology<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/rmdinc.com\" rel=\"noopener\">crystal growth<\/a> and technology development. The spacecraft also will carry an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/new-plant-habitat-will-increase-harvest-on-international-space-station\" rel=\"noopener\">advanced plant habitat <\/a>for growing vegetables in orbit.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have more than 2,000 pounds of scientific experiments on board spanning all fields of science onboard,\u201d said Holly Vavrin, a commercial visiting vehicle engineer in NASA\u2019s International Space Station Program Office. \u201cThere are also 38 CubeSats launching on this mission, including four that will launch from the Cygnus and 34 that will be launched from the station to conduct a range of experiments including testing long-life battery systems, study cloud systems and measure background radiation.\u201d<br>\n <br>\nLater, astronauts will pack it with trash, unneeded equipment and spent experiments. After detaching from the station, a final experiment will be conducted to test<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/kennedy\/2017\/02\/23\/saffire-iii-fire-experiment-prepped-for-flight-to-station\/\" rel=\"noopener\"> how fire burns in space<\/a> before Cygnus plunges into the atmosphere and burns up over the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This will be the third Cygnus spacecraft to ride an Atlas V into orbit from Kennedy, and is Orbital ATK\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-opens-media-accreditation-for-next-orbital-atk-cargo-resupply-mission\" rel=\"noopener\">seventh commercial resupply services mission<\/a> to the space station. It will also mark NASA\u2019s second supply mission of the year to the station following last month\u2019s launch of a SpaceX Dragon capsule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll these teams have worked extremely hard to get this mission to this point and we are looking forward to a great launch,\u201d said Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK\u2019s Advanced Programs division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Glenn\u2019s work on behalf of NASA and as a strong supporter of spaceflight has been noted as inspiration to astronauts and space industry engineers and workers. Orbital ATK traditionally names its Cygnus spacecraft for late astronauts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe has paved the way for so many people to follow in his footsteps,\u201d DeMauro said. \u201cIt is my humble duty and our great honor to name this spacecraft the S.S. John Glenn.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Steven Siceloff<br>NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A supply spacecraft set to carry thousands of pounds of experiments and equipment to the International Space Station will also carry the name John Glenn, Orbital ATK said Thursday during a ceremony dedicating the mission to the first American to orbit the Earth. \u201cJohn Glenn was probably responsible for more students studying math and science [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":80801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3215,3547],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[4943,5741],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Orbital ATK Dedicates Cygnus Spacecraft to John Glenn","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/astronauts\/former-astronauts\/orbital-atk-dedicates-cygnus-spacecraft-to-john-glenn\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/astronauts\/former-astronauts\/orbital-atk-dedicates-cygnus-spacecraft-to-john-glenn\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ksc-20170309-ph_kls01_0081.jpg"},"articleSection":"Humans in Space","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nikki Welch"}],"creator":["Nikki Welch"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Humans in Space","Astronauts","Former Astronauts","John H. 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