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[ Silence ]

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Hi, welcome

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to the International Space
Station Flight Control Room.

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It's been quite a
day, yesterday, --

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and it continues
to be quite a day.

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We've been talking
about some activities

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that are taking place now aboard
the International Space Station.

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Meanwhile, back on Earth here --
yesterday, there was an attempt

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to launch a test flight, out
at the Wallops Facility --

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Flight Facility -- and so, here
with me today, I have a guest,

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John Steinmeyer, of
Orbital Sciences.

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John, thank you for
coming out today.

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>> John Steinmeyer:
Thanks, Amiko,

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thanks for having me on today.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Real quick,

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if you wouldn't mind
just letting me know,

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what is your title, and your
role there at Orbital Sciences?

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>> John Steinmeyer: Sure.

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I'm a Senior Project Manager, in
Orbital's Launch Systems Group,

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and I mainly support
business development

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and strategic planning, for
our launch systems group.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay,

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and so you are actually
stationed in California.

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>> John Steinmeyer:
I am, actually.

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>> Amiko Kauderer:
But then you're here,

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in support of this launch
that did not take place.

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>> John Steinmeyer: Yes,

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I'm here to support the
broadcast activities.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay,
great, well thank you,

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we really appreciate
you being out here.

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So, first of all, let's
just explain for --

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to me, and also to our viewers,

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a little about what Antares
is -- what is Antares?

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>> John Steinmeyer: Sure.

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Antares is a new launch vehicle
that Orbital is developing

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in partnership with
NASA, as an element

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of their Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services Program

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or COTS.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay.

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>> John Steinmeyer: It's a
two-stage launch vehicle,

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with a liquid oxygen
kerosene booster,

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and a solid upper stage.

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The vehicle is designed
initially to launch

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about 5,000 kilograms of payload
into low Earth orbit, and then,

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with subsequent variance,
we'll improve that performance

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to about 6,500 kilograms.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay, great
-- so, real quick, obviously,

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we weren't able to take off
yesterday, as we were hoping

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to -- can you explain
what happened?

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Why we scrubbed that launch?

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>> John Steinmeyer: Sure.

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As we progressed through the
count, very late in the count,

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the team noted that a data relay
cable umbilical had prematurely

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disconnected from the second
stage of the launch vehicle,

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and so, at the next pull
opportunity, the team elected

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to abort the launch
at that time.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay,
so real quick also,

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when is the next launch attempt?

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I mean, we didn't -- I
understand it's going to be

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on Friday, but do
we have a time?

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Is it set already?

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>> John Steinmeyer: It
will be the same time

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as the launch attempt yesterday.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay.

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>> John Steinmeyer: The launch
window opens at 5:00 p.m.,

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Eastern Time -- the team has
worked overnight to de-tank

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and safe the vehicle,
and return the vehicle

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to its initial state -- and
then, we will start fresh,

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if you will, tomorrow
with the count on stations

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about eight hours before launch.

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Unfortunately, the
weather predictions

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for tomorrow are not favorable.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay.

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>> John Steinmeyer: So,
we'll proceed with the count,

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and we'll get as far as we can,

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and hopefully, things
will improve.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Right.

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>> John Steinmeyer: If not,

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we'll make another
attempt the following day.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: I
understand, it's all part

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of the rocket business.

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>> John Steinmeyer:
It is [laughter].

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>> Amiko Kauderer: So, you know,

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a lot of things have
to be on line for it.

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>> John Steinmeyer:
There's a lot of things

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that have to come together.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Real quick,
because we were kind of watching

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that -- and then of course,
the scrub happened --

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explain to me what the
countdown entails --

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so how do we get to lift-off?

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>> John Steinmeyer: Sure,
like any launch system,

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there's a number of
checkouts and systems tests

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that happen before the launch --
and then, the next major phase

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of the count is actually
preparing,

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and then actually
fueling the rocket --

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in this case, our first stage
booster, with liquid oxygen

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and liquid kerosene -- and
then, some final checkouts --

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safe and arming, turning,
putting the vehicle

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on internal power,
its own power --

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and then, the final
preparations for launch.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay, great.

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Well, so we brought a prop
here [laughter] here's the --

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what the Antares Rocket.

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>> John Steinmeyer: Yes.

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>> Amiko Kauderer:
So, actually, what --

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explain to me what the
significance of just being able

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to successfully launch this test
vehicle -- what does that mean?

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>> John Steinmeyer: Sure,
and that's exactly right,

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this is a test launch for us.

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It's really the culmination of
a very extensive series of tests

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that we've conducted on all the
systems of the launch vehicle --

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so this is the final
systems validation check.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Okay.

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>> John Steinmeyer: To verify

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that everything works
as it should.

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The next launch will be the
COT's Demonstration Mission,

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where we'll actually use our
Cygnus Cargo Transfer Vehicle,

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along with the Antares
launch vehicle,

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to demonstrate the ability to
deliver cargo to Space Station.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Great.

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Very exciting when it happens.

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>> John Steinmeyer: Yes.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: When
-- so, also, can you --

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you talked about that --

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said the next one would be the
demo flight, with the Cygnus.

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>> John Steinmeyer:
Yes, that's true.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Can you tell
me more about what's ahead?

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>> John Steinmeyer: Sure,
yes, actually the --

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you see the cargo transfer
vehicle on the screen now.

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That cargo transfer vehicle,
along with the Antares vehicle

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for that mission, are actually
at the Wallops' launch site now,

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undergoing preparations
for launch --

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the Cygnus cargo transfer
vehicle is actually being fueled

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during this week.

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We'll use the cargo
transfer vehicle

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to demonstrate our ability

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to actually deliver cargo
to the Space Station.

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Actually, cargo has been loaded

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into the cargo transfer vehicle
already, a certain amount,

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and some additional cargo will
be loaded shortly before launch

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-- and we hope to
execute that launch

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in the late June timeframe.

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I believe the window
of opportunity

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at the Space Station -- as
you're well aware, there's a lot

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of activity at the Space
Station [laughter].

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>> Amiko Kauderer:
Oh, yes -- everyday.

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All day, everyday.

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>> John Steinmeyer: But
I believe our window

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of opportunity extends
through about mid-July.

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So, we're targeting the end
of June for that launch.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Yes, so
getting this little bugger

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up [laughter] is
very, very important.

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>> John Steinmeyer: Yes, it is.

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>> Amiko Kauderer:
And so, hopefully,

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we'll be successful tomorrow --

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hopefully, the weather
will cooperate with us.

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>> John Steinmeyer: We
always plan for success.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: And there is
no other issues that come up,

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but if they do, that's
what we do.

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>> John Steinmeyer: It's
part of the business.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: And
it's part of learning.

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>> John Steinmeyer: It's part
of this particular mission --

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once again, checking
out all the systems,

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make sure they work as designed.

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>> Amiko Kauderer:
And I think it's part

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of what makes us
successful at doing anything,

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is try and try again, and
we'll get it right -- right?.

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>> John Steinmeyer:
Yes, that's our plan.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Well,
thanks again for coming out

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and giving us an update.

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>> John Steinmeyer: Thank you.

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>> Amiko Kauderer: Folks who are
out there want to follow along,

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there's a conversation
taking place now,

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you can follow the hashtag
on Antares, on Twitter,

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and the Social Media, and
Orbital Sciences' Facebook page,

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and always, at
www.nasa.gov/orbital,

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get your latest updates.

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Again, thanks so much,
and best of luck to you.

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>> John Steinmeyer: Well,
thank you, thank you.