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NASA Confirms ISS Has Received Cygnus Capsule Carrying Resupply Food and Equipment

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The International Space Station (ISS) confirmed it had received the Cygnus capsule carrying various goods and supplies early Wednesday morning, though the mission is not done.

According to the Associated Press, the resupply mission was the third Orbital Sciences, a company under contract with NASA, carried out for the space agency. The capsule will stay attached to the ISS for a month while the crew on board will load the capsule up with garbage. In Aug., the capsule will renter the Earth's atmosphere where it will burn up.

At 6:36 a.m. ET, NASA confirmed via Twitter that the ISS' robotic arm, which crewmember Steve Swanson was operating, had grabbed the Cygnus capsule. The resupply spacecraft was filled mostly with food, but the 3,000-pound load also included science equipment and other provisions. One of the more unique items shuttled to the ISS crew were outfits specially designed to repel odor and bacteria.

"I think everybody's breathing again," Mission Control radioed shortly after the floating station grappled Cygnus, according to the AP. "We felt like we were up there with you."

NASA is paying Orbital Sciences $1.9 billion to perform these resupply missions and the space agency has a similar contract with SpaceX. Orbital's contract runs through 2016 and covers at least eight resupply missions, NASA reported in a press release.

Orbital Sciences named their latest resupply capsule after Janice Voss, a former employee and a NASA astronaut who had experienced five space shuttle trips. Swanson paid tribute to the former astronaut, who died in Feb. 2012, when receiving the SS Voss.

"We now have a seventh crew member. Janice Voss is now part of Expedition 40," Swanson said, according to the release. "Janice devoted her life to space and accomplished many wonderful things at NASA and Orbital Sciences, including five shuttle missions. And today, Janice's legacy in space continues. Welcome aboard the ISS, Janice."

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