Testing Key Technologies

Tariq Malik has an article on the Orbital Express satellites, launched as part of the payload on last night’s successful Atlas V launch. (By the way, that launch success is good news for both Lockheed Martin and Bigelow–a failure would have been a major setback in their stated plans to use the vehicle to deliver passengers to orbit).

During its planned 91-day mission, the Orbital Express vehicles are expected to go through a two-week checkout period, and then test initial refueling and equipment replacement techniques — while still mated to one another — using ASTRO