Ship Filled With Space Station Trash Expected To Burn Up Over Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- It's trash day for the International Space Station.

A large Cygnus cargo ship filled with Space Station trash that was released from the station last week is set to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand about 9:20 eastern time Wednesday morning and disintegrate.

NASA conducted an experiment aboard a doomed freighter last week. After the ship safely left the station, NASA says a large fire was intentionally set aboard the vessel. The space agency says scientists are looking to explore how fire behaves in microgravity in an effort to design safer spacecraft.

Space contractor Orbital ATK plans to send another Cygnus craft to the Space Station on a resupply mission next month.

In:
• NASA