Cygnus docks with ISS

DULLES, Va. – The Orbital Science Cygnus cargo spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and approach with the International Space Station and was grappled and berthed with the station by the Expedition 37 astronaut crew earlier this morning. Cygnus was launched by Orbital’s Antares rocket Sept. 18 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Final approach to the station began at about 3:00 a.m. EDT, culminating with the station’s robotic arm grappling the spacecraft at 7:00 a.m. when it was about 10 meters away. Cygnus was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the ISS' Harmony module where its installation was completed just before 8:45 a.m. (Source: multiple, including Orbital Sciences via Business Wire, Forbes, Space.com, 09/29/13) Cygnus is the second commercial spacecraft to dock with ISS. The SpaceX Dragon capsule was the first. Gulf Coast note: The Antares engines were tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous