Wallops prepares cargo for summer launch

Along with a new command center on the way, the Wallops Flight Facility  is also gearing up for a summer mission to the International Space Station.

The plan is to send up Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft filled with cargo. Supplies for the astronauts, like food and water, are currently on board. Critical spare equipment for the space station itself are also included. 

Steven Kremer, the chief of Wallops’ Range and Mission Management Office says, “We have payload already loaded on the spacecraft, but then we have something called late-load. Within the last few days before they take the vehicle out to the pad, they’ll put stuff in there. Those are late breaking needs or items they don’t want in there anyway because of it’s survivability time to get to the station.”

Science experiments are examples of late-load items. The Wallops Flight Facility is targeting a July launch for the spacecraft.