Long overdue for a fresh batch of cargo, the International Space Station (ISS) received a Cygnus capsule carrying some much needed supplies and resources.
According to The Associated Press, ISS crewmember and NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren operated the station's robotic arm to help the capsule dock early Wednesday morning, just a matter of weeks ahead of Christmas. The delivery was the first the ISS received in almost half a year.
"There's much rejoicing on the ground," mission control radioed after receiving approximately three-and-a-half tons of goods.
The #Cygnus approaches the @Space_Station before capture about 6:18am ET/11:18 UTC. https://t.co/0R1UNdqiUc
— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) December 9, 2015
Orbital ATK launched the Cygnus space capsule late last week from Cape Canaveral, Fla. after the company took a hiatus to probe a rocket explosion that took place during a similar resupply mission last year. After suffering a rocket explosion of its own in April, SpaceX has experienced a similar absence.
"It's great to see a new vehicle up here," NASA astronaut Scott Kelly told The AP. "We've had some difficulties, so getting Cygnus safely on board has been a great treat for us."
Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko, a Russian cosmonaut, are participating in a yearlong tour aboard the ISS to test the long-term effects living in space may have.
"The Cygnus is delivering more than 7,000 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory to support dozens of approximately 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 45 and 46," NASA stated on the ISS' webpage. "Science payloads aboard Cygnus will offer a new life science facility that will support studies on cell cultures, bacteria and other microorganisms; a microsatellite deployer and the first microsatellite that will be deployed from the space station; and experiments that will study the behavior of gases and liquids, clarify the thermo-physical properties of molten steel, and evaluate flame-resistant textiles.
"Cygnus also will deliver replacement cargo items including a set of Microsoft HoloLens devices for use in NASA's Sidekick project, a safety jet pack astronauts wear during spacewalks known as SAFER, and high pressure nitrogen and oxygen tanks to plug into the station's air supply network."
