The Cygnus cargo ship orbited a Northrop Grumman Entrance rocket on Saturday after a picture-perfect launch off the east coast of Virginia, carrying more than 8,000 pounds of supplies and equipment for the International Space Station.
The rocket’s two Russian-built RD-181 first-stage engines were ignited at 12:36 p.m., throttle to full thrust, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport – Mars – NASA’s Vapos Island Island Island, Virginia flight to Padstar Skyward. Was pushed. Convenience.
The Ch, Ta, Enters 230+ rocket hit the cargo run of the company’s 15th space station directly on the southeast route in a space station orbit.
NASA TV
The exit from the lower atmosphere went smoothly and after firing two minutes and 45 minutes of the second phase of the rocket’s solid-propellant, the Cygnus cargo ship was released for manual flight, to catch up with the station as early as Monday. .
Along with research materials, spare parts and other equipment, the spacecraft will also bring fresh food for the crew members of the station.
“The items we’re sending will include some Parmesan and cheddar cheese, apples and tomatoes, nuts and dried meat, and some candy,” said David Brady, a space station associate program scientist.
Also on board: Maple “for those crew members who love fish.”
“We choose to keep them happy because (it) helps them become more productive and allows us to do more science,” Brady said.
The primary goal of the Cygnus mission is to deliver science equipment and supplies for ongoing research using the microgravity environment on the space station.
One experiment will use a small worm to learn more about how astronauts lose muscle in the absence of gravity while another finds better ways of retinal implants that can help people with degenerative vision disorders maintain or improve their eyesight.
An advanced computer capable of fast processing and data compression will be tested and devices will be installed to upgrade the station’s urine recycling system. Also on board: a new radiation detector that will be used on future missions to the moon and beyond.
Sochi Noguchi / NASA
“ISS research is in full swing right now,” said Heidi Paris, program scientist. “Hundreds of different experiments are being carried out simultaneously on the International Space Station, and it is advancing the work of some of the world’s brightest scientific minds.”
“Research is trying to make our daily lives better on Earth, and will continue to expand our capabilities for future space exploration,” he said. “
If all goes well, the Cygnus spacecraft will arrive at the station as early as Monday. Japanese astronauts Sochi Noguchi and crumate Mike Hopkins will capture the cargo ship using Laboz’s robotic arm. Flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston will then take the ship by remote control to tow it into Burting.
Joel Montalbeno, manager of the station program in Houston, said the vehicle was carrying about 8,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station. “We are talking to the crew onboard (and) they are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cygnus, and will open the hatch and enter and wait for the science and research program we have decided to continue.”
Northrop Grumman has named its Cygnus cargo ships after notable men and women who played crucial roles in America’s space program. For Saturday’s flight, the spacecraft was named in honor of late mathematician Catherine Johnson, whose role in the early years of the space program was a major role in the film “Hidden Figures.”
“It is our tradition to name each Cygnus after the person who played a key role in human spaceflight,” said Frank de Mairo, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman. “Mrs. Johnson was chosen for her handwritten calculations that helped launch the first Americans into space, as well as her achievements in breaking glass after glass as a black woman.
“It’s an inspiration to a lot of people, especially women of color, and has proven time and time again that racial barriers and glass roofs are worth breaking down and there it shouldn’t be in the first place.”
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