At 8am ET: Live Coverage of Orbital ATK’s #Cygnus Cargo Ship Departing from the International Space Station. Watch: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv
Cygnus arrived at the Space Station Oct. 23 with more than 5,100 pounds of cargo to support science experiments from around the world. Experiments delivered on Cygnus supported NASA and other research investigations studying Biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science – research that impacts life on Earth. Investigations included studies on fire in space, the effect of lighting on sleep and daily rhythms, collection of health-related data, and a new way to measure neutrons.
Five hours after departing the station, the Saffire-II experiment will intentionally ignite a fire inside a module aboard the uncrewed spacecraft. The second in a series of three, the experiment allows researchers to study a realistic fire on an exploration spacecraft. Instruments on the Cygnus will measure flame growth, oxygen use and more. Results could determine microgravity flammability limits for several spacecraft materials, validate NASA’s material selection criteria, and help scientists understand how microgravity and limited oxygen affect flame size. The investigation is important for the safety of current and future space missions.
