A private cargo spacecraft was on its way back to Earth Tuesday as NASA increases its reliance on private companies to supply the International Space Station.
The Cygnus craft undocked from the ISS at 1131 GMT after 23 days at the orbiting laboratory and delivering nearly 590 kilograms of cargo, including food, clothings and experiments to the station.
Cygnus was loaded with unneeded items from the ISS and will be destroyed as it reenters Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday.
NASA hailed the spacecraft’s visit as a key milestone in developing a commercial space flight industry.
“We are delighted to now have two American companies able to resupply the station,” administrator Charlie Bolden said in a statement.
“US innovation and inspiration have once again shown their great strength in the design and operation of a new generation of vehicles to carry cargo to our laboratory in space. Orbital’s success today is helping make NASA’s future exploration to farther destinations possible.” A Cygnus craft developed by firm Orbital Sciences is to conduct its next mission to the ISS in December, and the company has a contract for eight resupply missions with NASA until 2016.
The mission follows previous private cargo resupply missions to the ISS by the SpaceX Dragon capsule as NASA seeks to jump start the private spaceflight industry after the retirement of its space shuttle in 2011.
The capsule is scheduled to make at least 12 more flights by 2016 under a contract valued at about $1.6 billion.