After delay in its launch date, Cygnus was successful launched to delivery necessary supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). The cargo ship carrying supplies and Christmas presents docked at the ISS on December 9.

The success of this commercial flight launch marks America’s return to resume resupply mission to orbit. The Orbital ATK Cygnus CRS-4 resupply vessel arrived in the vicinity of space station at around 5:30 am EST on December 9.

The vessel after slowly moving close into the station was grabbed by NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren using he space stations 57.7 foot long robotic arm, Canadarm2, at 6:19 am EST.

This entire sequence was broadcasted live on NASA TV. Lindgren was assisted by NASA astronaut and current station commander Scott Kelly, who will be spending an year at the space station as part of the first ‘1 Year ISS Crew along with the Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.

The robotic arm was used to install the ‘S.S Deke Slayton II’ into place on the stations earth-facing port of the Unity module at 9:26 am EST.

The success of the mission has made Cygnus as the first cargo ship to be berthed at that earth-facing port on Unity.

The cargo ship was carried into space on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket which successfully restarted American’s critically needed cargo missions to the ISS after some launch failures by Orbital ATK and SpaceX over the past year.

Frank Culbertson, president of orbital ATK’s Space System Group, told Universe Today that it is great to be back in space.