International Space Station Trash Burnup via Cygnus Reentry Feb. 20

Summary: An intentional International Space Station trash burnup occurred during Orbital ATK's Cygnus reentry Saturday, Feb. 20, into Earth's atmosphere.

International Space Station's Canadarm2 is used for berthing and unberthing Cygnus cargo craft: Scott Kelly @StationCDRKelly via Twitter Feb. 19, 2016

An International Space Station trash burnup over the Pacific Ocean occurred Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, as Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo craft, carrying 1.5 tons of trash, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and succumbed to the incinerating forces of atmospheric drag and aerodynamic heating.

Ground controllers at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, executed commands at 6:38 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Friday, Feb. 19, that directed Canadarm2, a Canadian-made robotic arm, to unberth Cygnus from its dock on Unity module’s Earth-facing port. Onboard the International Space Station, Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly and flight engineer Timothy "Tim" Kopra gave computer commands at 7:26 a.m. that released Cygnus from the 57.7-foot-long (17.6-meter-long) robotic arm.

After release, Cygnus was in free drift until Canadarm2 retreated into its park position. Then the Orbital ATK flight control teams at Johnson Space Center (JSC) and at Orbital ATK headquarters, in Dulles, Virginia, activated firing commands for Cygnus’s thrusters.

During release, the International Space Station and Cygnus were flying above the eastern part of Bolivia. Located in western-central South America, Bolivia and its southeastern neighbor, Paraguay, are the continent’s only two landlocked countries.

“. . . a pleasure having you onboard our space station for so long, and thanks to all the folks in Houston and in Dulles especially that provided this great vehicle for us. It’s been a pleasure,” Kelly expressed appreciation on NASA's YouTube video of the release as Cygnus receded from the station and headed toward the next day’s deorbital International Space Station trash burnup farther westward, over the Pacific Ocean.

Cygnus spent 72 days at the International Space Station. After blastoff Dec. 6, 2015, Cygnus arrived at the International Space Station Wednesday, Dec. 9, as Orbital ATK’s fourth successful resupply mission. Officially installed on Unity module’s underside at 9:26 a.m., Cygnus delivered over 7,700 pounds of supplies to the station’s crew.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, flight engineer Timothy Kopra tweeted: “So grateful for the supplies from the #Cygnus cargo vehicle. All set for release tomorrow.”

Orbital ATK observes a tradition of naming commercial resupply spacecraft after deceased NASA astronauts. The aerospace manufacturer’s first three automated cargo spacecraft honored George David Low, Charles Gordon Fullerton and Janice Elaine Voss.

Orbital ATK’s fourth commercial resupply spacecraft, named after Donald Kent “Deke” Slayton, was destroyed in the after-liftoff explosion of its launch system, an Antares rocket, Oct. 28, 2014. Orbital ATK designated the destroyed Cygnus’s successful successor as Deke Slayton II.

On Saturday, Feb. 20, Orbital ATK flight team-directed twice firings of Cygnus’s engines thrust the cargo craft into Earth’s atmosphere. The two destructive forces of atmospheric drag (the frictional opposition to Cygnus’s entry) and aerodynamic heating (the conversion of kinetic energy to heat by high-speed passage through air) combined to demolish Deke Slayton II Cygnus, along with the International Space Station trash burnup, during a fiery atmospheric reentry at around 11 a.m.

Orbital ATK marked the spacecraft’s demise in a same-day tweet: “At ~ 11 am ET today, the S.S. Deke Slayton II #Cygnus reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific, marking a successful end of mission.

Deke Slayton II Cygnus docked for 72 days at an Earth-facing port on the underside of the International Space Station's Unity module: Commander Scott Kelly @StationCDRKelly via Twitter Feb. 19, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

International Space Station's Canadarm2 is used for berthing and unberthing of Cygnus cargo craft: Scott Kelly @StationCDRKelly via Twitter Feb. 19, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly/status/700711999672463361

"All good things must come to an end. #Cygnus, your mission was a success! Farewell #SSDekeSlayton. #YearInSpace.": Scott Kelly @Station CDRKelly via Twitter Feb. 19, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly/status/700721704188801028

For further information:

Associated Press. "Space station astronauts give huge trash can the boot." CBS8. Feb. 21, 2016.
Available @ http://www.cbs8.com/story/31276132/space-station-astronauts-give-huge-trash-can-the-boot

Garcia, Mark. "Cargo Ship and Crew Departure Preps Underway." NASA Blogs > Space Station. Feb. 18, 2016.
Available @ http://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/02/18/cargo-ship-and-crew-departure-preps-underway/

Kremer, Ken. "Commercial Cygnus Cargo Freighter Departs ISS After Resuming US Resupply Runs." Universe Today. Feb. 19, 2016.
Available @ http://www.universetoday.com/127478/cargo-freighter-departs-iss-after-resuming-us-resupply-runs/

NASA. "Successful Commercial Space Station Supply Mission Concludes." YouTube. Feb. 19, 2016.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0H4E5IXEuk

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "International Space Station Basics." NASA.
Available @ http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/179225main_ISS_Poster_Back.pdf

Ray, Justin. "U.S. resupply of space station successfully resumes." Spaceflight Now. Dec. 9, 2015.
Available @ http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/09/u-s-resupply-of-space-station-successfully-resumes/

Scott Kelly @Station CDRKelly. "All good things must come to an end. #Cygnus, your mission was a success! Farewell #SSDekeSlayton. #YearInSpace." Twitter. Feb. 19, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly/status/700721704188801028

Scott Kelly @StationCDRKelly. "Honor to give #Cygnus a hand (or arm) in finalizing its mission this morning. Well done #SSDekeSlayton! #YearInSpace." Twitter. Feb. 19, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly/status/700711999672463361

Tim Kopra‏ @astro_tim. "So grateful for the supplies from the #Cygnus cargo vehicle. All set for release tomorrow. @OrbitalATK." Feb. 18, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/astro_tim/status/700450813139935232