Orbital ATK Launch: Rocket Blasts Off Carrying Supplies For International Space Station

The Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft launched on a mission to resupply to the International Space Station, NASA said on its blog Sunday afternoon. Cygnus is carrying several science investigations to be used in the space station’s current and future missions. The spacecraft launched from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and contains more than 7,380 pounds of gear, including a new life science facility, a microsatellite deployer and the first microsatellite to be deployed from the space station. The gear will be used partly for research into how to send astronauts on long missions in deep space, such as a journey to Mars.

The spacecraft is also delivering replacement cargo items, such as Microsoft HoloLens devices, safety jet packs for astronauts and high pressure nitrogen and oxygen tanks.