Cygnus cargo vehicle gearing up for debut flight [Spaceflight Now]

先日離脱したHTV「こうのとり」4号機と入れ替わるように、いよいよシグナス宇宙船の実証機がISSへ向け17日にも打ち上げられようとしています。

Orbital Sciences Corp. is almost ready to send the first commercial Cygnus cargo freighter on a demonstration mission to the International Space Station, and NASA officials gave the green light Wednesday for engineers to begin final preparations for the test flight's Sept. 17 launch on an Antares rocket from the Virginia coastline.

■Cygnus Mated to Antares [Orbital]

The Cygnus spacecraft that is scheduled to deliver cargo to the International Space Station following a launch currently scheduled to occur on September 17, has been mated to its Antares launch vehicle.Below are photos taken by Orbital's Dan Wiles in the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) on Wallops Island, VA at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

そしてシグナスがアンタレスに結合された様子がアップされています。ギミック剥き出しで格好いいですね−。