NASA Counting On 1st US Space Station Shipment In Months
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CBSMiami/AP) — NASA officials say they are counting on the first U.S. delivery to the International Space Station in nearly eight months.
An unmanned Atlas rocket is scheduled to blast off at 5:55 p.m. Thursday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with 7,400 pounds of supplies. But clouds and rain could push the launch into Friday, when the weather worsens.
Two of the last four commercial supply runs, contracted by NASA have failed. The first launch accident occurred in Virginia in October 2014, the second at Cape Canaveral in June. Add in a lost Russian cargo ship in April, and the cupboards in orbit have suffered.
Orbital ATK is using another company's rocket for this shipment because its own remains grounded. SpaceX also is stuck on Earth, at least until next month.
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