Come along with the Talking Space Team to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
(KSC) as we bring to you the sights and sounds leading up to the return to
flight of Orbital ATK’s
Cygnus Cargo spacecraft (named after pioneering Astronaut Donald K. Slayton) and the resumption of ISS logistics
delivery missions from US Soil. In this special expanded show, we discuss
the mission , designated OA4,
the Cygnus itself and just why we are launching from Florida
and not the usual home port for Cygnus of Wallops Island, Virginia. Also why we
are flying on United Launch
Alliance’s AtlasV and not OrbitalATK's Antares booster. With wind measurements playing a huge
factor in this launch (wind delayed in the launch three times) Mark Ratterman
takes us on a tour of a key instrument, NASA’s Doppler Radar Wind Profiler. Once fully commissioned
the system will make sure the “highway to space” is safe for launch
vehicles leaving KSC. We spend some time with Mr. Frank DeMauro, OrbitalATK’s Vice President of Human
Spaceflight Systems to discuss his career, his role in supporting this
return to flight mission, and what the future holds for the Cygnus
There was a bit of controversy surrounding Space Exploration Technologies
(Space X) and their future return to flight plans, we discuss. We also look at
the company’s progress with reimagining historic Launch Complex 39-A. We
also make commentary as to why we think their message last week surrounding
their future launch plans became somewhat muddled.
In a future show, we will profile progress being made by United Launch
Alliance at LaunchComplex
41 to support human missions. We’ll also examine Boeing’s efforts to get
the former Orbiter Processing Facility 3 now known as the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility ready to
fabricate the CST-100 Starliner , and NASA’s Launch Equipment Testing Facility , making sure that
connections on the new Mobile Launcher will support the Space Launch System and
Talking Space wishes to thank NASA’s George Diller and OrbitalATK’s Frank DeMauro for
For additional photographs/images go to our Team Blog page
Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein
Commentators: Mark Ratterman & Gene Mikulka