Live coverage: Cygnus cargo freighter departs space station

An atmospheric test model of Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser space plane is being readied for tow and landing tests at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California this spring.

The first spacecraft in a new generation of Russian Progress cargo vehicles parked at the International Space Station on Wednesday, bringing a holiday delivery of more than 5,000 pounds of fuel, water and supplies for the research lab’s six-person crew.

The mission will the fifth flight to space for Peggy Whitson, the American with the most spaceflight experience in history. Liftoff on Wednesday, June 25 is set for 2:31 a.m. EDT (0631 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A.