The International Space Station accepted a fresh delivery of goods Wednesday, courtesy of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus commercial cargo spaceship. The cylindrical craft was launched three days ago from Virginia. The station's commander, Steven Swanson, used a giant robot arm to grab onto the Cygnus capsule and its precious load as the craft zoomed 260 miles above northern Libya. The ship is named the SS Janice Voss, as a tribute to a NASA shuttle astronaut who died of cancer in 2012. "Welcome aboard the ISS, Janice," Swanson said.
The Cygnus was bolted onto the space station for a monthlong visit. It's the third space station shipment for Orbital Sciences Corp. NASA is paying Orbital Sciences as well as SpaceX to haul up supplies. The Cygnus contains more than 3,000 pounds of food, science experiments, mini-satellites, equipment and supplies, including outfits designed to resist bacteria and odor. The new gym clothes should keep the exercising astronauts smelling a lot better.
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IN-DEPTH
- Orbital Rocket Launches Celestial Care Package
- Cygnus vs. Dragon: How Two Private Spaceships Measure Up
- Space Laundry and the Search for Odor-Free Undies (Discover)
SOCIAL
— The Associated Press
