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NASA will close 2015 with a mission that will
accomplish a number of firsts and reestablish

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a crucial supply link to the International
Space Station.

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A Cygnus spacecraft larger than those that
have flown before has been loaded with 7,383

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pounds of materials the residents of the station
will need to conduct important research and

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operate the orbiting laboratory.

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Built by Orbital ATK, the enhanced Cygnus,
as the spacecraft is called, boasts several

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upgrades including improved avionics and lighter
solar arrays that generate as much power as

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their predecessors.

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The spacecraft carries no astronauts but will
fly autonomously to the space station. When

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in range, the astronauts will reach out with
the station’s robot arm and pull the Cygnus

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to a port where the crew can unpack it.

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Orbital ATK's Dan Tani, a former station astronaut,
spoke recently about the value of cargo arrivals.

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DAN TANI
(1:52 – 2:06)

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Of course, it's a real morale boost, you know.
It's like coming home from the store and unpacking

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the trunk full of all the stuff that you bought,
a lot of stuff you didn't know you needed,

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but a lot of stuff like notes from home and
things that are really meaningful.

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NARRATOR:
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will

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lift the Cygnus into orbit from Cape Canaveral's
Space Launch Complex 41. A workhorse rocket,

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the Atlas V has never launched a station-
bound payload before.

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For NASA, the mission represents a return
to American cargo resupply missions that allow

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the station residents to perform science experiments
in a unique environment off the earth to benefit

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all those on the earth.

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As astronaut Scott Kelly continues his own
record-setting yearlong mission, the supplies