Orbital Sciences' commercial cargo craft Cygnus finally made it to the International Space Station (ISS) a week after its original expected arrival date.
"Orbital Sciences uploaded a software fix for a navigation data mismatch that occurred during its approach Sept. 22. NASA managers opted to wait until after Wednesday's Soyuz launch and docking to restart capture and berthing activities," a NASA press release stated.
Cygnus hung 1,491 miles back while ground controllers tested the space craft's software patch and strategized its next docking attempt.
Station manager gave approval for the second attempt Thursday night, and Cygnus made "a series of thruster burns" towards the ISS.
As the craft approached, Expedition 37 flight engineers Luca Parmitano and Karen Nyberg worked with mission control to reel the spacecraft in.
"When Cygnus met its final demonstration objective of pointing a tracking laser at a reflector on the Kibo laboratory it moved to its capture point about 10 meters from the station. Cygnus turned off its thrusters, operated in free drift, and Parmitano maneuvered the Canadarm2 to grapple and capture Cygnus," the press release stated.
Cygnus is the second commercial craft to be sent to the space station, the commercial spacecraft company SpaceX has already made two successful trips.
The spacecraft was launched on the powerful Antares rocket.
"This is one of the most exciting things that is happening in the middle of a very exiting month for Orbital, for NASA and for space programs around the world," Frank Culbertson, the company's executive vice president and a former space shuttle commander, said in a news conference before the launch, the Associated press reported via the Washington Post.
"Launching Antares ... is going to be a major step in our program," he said.
The craft delivered 1,300 pounds of food, clothes, and other items for the astronauts.
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