Black mold delays ISS cargo launch from Cape Canaveral

NASA is investigating the source of black mold that contaminated cargo bags bound for the International Space Station, delaying the next launch of supplies from Florida's Space Coast.

An unmanned Orbital ATK Cygnus craft, which had been scheduled to launch March 10 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, now is targeting a March 22 liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, according to ULA.

NASA said microbial analysis during a routine inspections at Kennedy Space Center found evidence of common black mold on two bags. The space agency decided to disinfect every bag, which required removing cargo already packed in the Cygnus.

It's the first time black mold has caused a problem during ISS cargo processing.

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"Micro-organisms are everywhere and this type of micro-organism is not uncommon," said Dan Huot, a spokesman at NASA's Johnson Space Center, home of the ISS program. "NASA inspects, samples and disinfects cargo bags to ensure a safe environment for the crew members."

Molds can cause stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing and skin irritation in people sensitive to them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more severe reactions like fever and shortness of breath for those with serious allergies.

Earlier inspections had determined that the Cygnus vehicle's pressurized module was clean. The module arrived at KSC's Space Station Processing Facility last month after shipping across the Atlantic Ocean from manufacturer Thales Alenia Space's base in Italy.

Lockheed Martin is responsible for stowing ISS cargo under NASA's Cargo Mission Contract.

The upcoming resupply mission, labeled OA-6, is Orbital ATK's fifth under a NASA contract worth up to $3.1 billion. NASA recently awarded Orbital ATK one of three follow-on Commercial Resupply Services contracts, ensuring that the Cygnus will visit the ISS through 2024.

The mission is the second of two currently planned from Cape Canaveral launching a Cygnus on the Atlas V, following a successful first flight together in December that delivered about 7,700 pounds of cargo to the ISS.

Orbital ATK this summer aims to resume launches from Virginia of a redesigned Antares rocket, which is returning to flight after a failure in October 2014.

SpaceX is NASA's other commercial cargo provider over the next several years. The timing of its next launch of a Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral — the first since a Falcon 9 rocket failure last June — is still to be determined.

Contact Dean at 321-242-3668 orjdean@floridatoday.com.And follow on Twitter at@flatoday_jdeanand on Facebook atfacebook.com/jamesdeanspace.

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