A Virginia company is on its way to the International Space Station, doubling the number of commercial suppliers.
Orbital Sciences Corp. launched its first-ever cargo ship Wednesday morning from Virginia. The capsule, named Cygnus, is due at the space station on Sunday, following four days of testing.
Photo: NASA Wallop's Flight Facility
It's only the second private business to attempt a shipment like this. The California-based SpaceX company has been delivering station cargo for more than a year under a NASA contract.
The Cygnus capsule contains 1,300 pounds of food, clothing and goodies for the astronauts - nothing too valuable given this is a test flight.
Orbital Sciences' unmanned Antares rocket blasted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. It's the second major launch from Wallops this month. A NASA moonshot occurred Sept. 6.