The Cygnus spacecraft "Janice Voss" completed its mission last week, delivering supplies, food and science experiments to the International Space Station (ISS). However, its mission wasn't quite over: astronauts filled the craft with their trash and then undocked it, sending it careening back to Earth, where it, along with its goods, burned up in Earth's atmosphere.
German astronaut Alexander Gerst took a stunning photo of the spacecraft's journey from the ISS as it became a fireball that streaked through the sky. The image shows how the spacecraft broke up when it came into contact with the strong forces of the Earth's atmosphere.
'In 84 days [Reid Weisman], [Макс Сураев] and I will ride home inside such an amazing fireball!' writes Gerst on Twitter, although their descent won't result in fiery destruction.
Cygnus is part of a commercial supply mission partnership between privately owned Orbital Sciences and NASA. It delivered over 3,000 pounds of food, equipment, science experiments and gear to the astronauts stationed there.
The Janice Voss received its name in memory of astronaut Janice Voss who worked for both NASA and Orbital Sciences and passed away in 2012.
The Janice Voss was originally launched from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on July 13, 2014 and reached the ISS on July 16. There, astronauts used robotic arms to grapple the capsule, pulling it in and docking it to the station. Once unloaded, astronauts released the robotic arm and the spacecraft was carefully steered away from the ISS and into its fiery descent.
Orbital Sciences is one of two commercial companies partnering with NASA on ISS deliveries. The other is Elon Musk's SpaceX, but that company's capsules return to Earth intact. NASA is helping its commercial partners develop their space cargo capabilities, providing both technical and financial assistance.
The documentation of Cygnus' reentry is part of an engineering study about how such vehicles break up in space. A second similar study will occur when the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle 5 departs from the ISS in about six months. That spacecraft has an infrared "Break Up Camera" which will give an unprecedented view into what happens when a spacecraft burns up in Earth's atmosphere. The camera will transmit its images to Earth via satellite and take photos of the craft's final 20 seconds.
Orbital Sciences has scheduled its next Cygnus cargo delivery, the Orb-3 mission, for October. That spacecraft will carry over 5,000 pounds of supplies for the ISS.
