The Orbital Sciences Cygnus spacecraft was grappled by the International Space Station’s robotic arm at 7:01 (EDT) this morning after a flawless approach and in-orbit demonstration sequence. Cygnus will now be guided to the berthing port on the nadir side of the Harmony node, where the Expedition 37 crew will complete the installation. That process is expected to be complete late this morning. Cygnus will remain attached to the ISS for 30 days before departing with disposal cargo on board.

This makes Orbital Sciences the second private company to successfully complete the COTS program and dock a cargo spacecraft with the ISS. The Cygnus spacecraft is not designed with return capability nor to carry astronauts.