August 2024 – Commercial Resupply

Cygnus Spacecraft Installed to Space Station; Cargo Ops Underway

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft is pictured attached to the Earth-facing port of the space station's Unity module on Aug. 6, 2024. Credit: NASA TV — Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft is pictured attached to the Earth-facing port of the space station’s Unity module on Aug. 6, 2024. Credit: NASA TV

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft installation on the International Space Station is complete at 5:33 a.m. EDT.

The spacecraft carried 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory for Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission for NASA.

The mission launched at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Cygnus will remain at the space station until January when it departs the orbiting laboratory at which point it will dispose of several thousand pounds of debris through its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere where it will harmlessly burn up.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Live NASA Coverage of Cygnus Installation Underway

NASA’s coverage is underway for the installation of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website.

At 3:11 a.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, with NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps acting as backup, captured Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft using the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm as the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean.

The spacecraft is carrying 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory for Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission for NASA.

The mission launched at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

NASA Astronauts Capture Cygnus With Robotic Arm; Installation Soon

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm, moments after NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick maneuvered the robotic arm to capture the spacecraft ahead of installation to the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. Credit: NASA TV — Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm moments after NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick maneuvered the robotic arm to capture the spacecraft ahead of installation to the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. Credit: NASA TV

At 3:11 a.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, with NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps as backup, captured Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft using the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm as the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean.

Mission control in Houston will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to position Cygnus to its installation orientation and then will guide it in for installation on the station’s Unity module Earth-facing port.

NASA will provide coverage of the spacecraft’s installation beginning at 4:30 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website.

NASA’s Northrop Grumman 21st commercial resupply mission launched at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida carrying 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Cygnus Spacecraft Approaching Space Station Live on NASA TV

The Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter approaches the International Space Station as both spacecraft orbited 272 miles above the southern Indian Ocean.

NASA’s coverage is underway for the capture of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft. At approximately 3:10 a.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will capture Cygnus using the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.

The spacecraft is carrying 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory for Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission for NASA.

The mission launched at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

NASA will provide coverage of the spacecraft’s installation beginning at 4:30 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

NASA’s Northrop Grumman Cygnus Continues to Space Station

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft continues on its way to the International Space Station following launch at 11:02 a.m. EDT Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Cygnus spacecraft completed the deployment of its two solar arrays at 2:21 p.m. the same day.

The Cygnus spacecraft has completed two delta velocity burns, and it remains on track for a capture by the space station’s robotic arm slated for 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The spacecraft is in a safe trajectory, and all other systems are operating normally.

Shortly after launch on Sunday, the spacecraft performed as designed by cancelling a scheduled engine burn due to a slightly low initial pressure reading flagged by the Cygnus onboard detection system. Engineers at Northrop Grumman’s mission control center in Dulles, Virginia evaluated the pressure reading, confirmed it was acceptable and re-worked the burn plan to arrive at the space station on the originally planned schedule.

NASA will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival beginning at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 6 on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website. Additional updates will be posted as needed.

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will capture Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.

This is Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission for NASA.

Learn more about station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on X as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

NASA’s Northrop Grumman Cygnus Completes Solar Arrays Deployment

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft completed the deployment of its two solar arrays at 2:21 p.m. EDT after launching at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to the International Space Station for NASA.

Shortly after launch, the spacecraft missed its first burn slated for 11:44 a.m. due to a late entry to burn sequencing. Known as the targeted altitude burn, or TB1, it was rescheduled for 12:34 p.m., but aborted the maneuver shortly after the engine ignited due to a slightly low initial pressure state. There is no indication the engine itself has any problem at this time.

Cygnus is at a safe altitude, and Northrop Grumman engineers are working a new burn and trajectory plan. The team aims to achieve the spacecraft’s original capture time on station, which is currently slated for 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

If all remains on track, NASA will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival beginning at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 6 on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website. Additional updates will be posted as needed.

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will capture Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at approximately 3:10 a.m., and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.

This is Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission for NASA.

Learn more about station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on X as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

NASA’s Northrop Grumman 21st Cargo Mission: Cygnus Launches at 11:02 a.m. EDT

A successful liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, heads to the International Space Station for the 21st Northrop Grumman resupply mission on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

At 11:02 a.m. EDT, 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo launched to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft for the company’s 21st commercial resupply services mission for NASA. The spacecraft lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Cygnus will reach its preliminary orbit about 10 minutes after launch and is expected to deploy its solar arrays about three hours later.

NASA will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival beginning at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website.

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will capture Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at approximately 3:10 a.m., and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is backup.

Learn more about station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on X as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

NASA’s Northrop Grumman 21st Cargo Mission: Launch Coverage Underway

A Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, stands tall at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in preparation for a launch to the International Space Station. Photo credit: SpaceX

NASA’s coverage is underway on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website for the launch of Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The company’s Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled for liftoff at 11:02 a.m. EDT on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Filled with more than 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations, food, supplies, and equipment, Cygnus will arrive at the orbiting outpost on Tuesday, Aug. 6. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will capture Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.

Learn more about station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on X as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

NASA, Northrop Grumman Delay Cargo Resupply Launch Opportunity

NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are standing down from the launch opportunity Saturday for the agency’s Northrop Grumman 21st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station due to weather conditions.

Teams are targeting no earlier than 11:02 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 4 for the next launch opportunity.

For launch updates and more about information on station activities follow the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

NASA’s Northrop Grumman’s NG-21 Launch Readiness Review Complete, Prelaunch News Conference Next

On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen being encapsulated inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing as it prepares to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for the 21st Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services for NASA.

Teams with NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX completed the final major review before launch – the Launch Readiness Review – for the 21st Northrop Grumman commercial resupply to the International Space Station.

At the conclusion of the review, teams confirmed the target launch time of 11:29 a.m. EDT, Saturday, Aug. 3. Tune in to the agency’s website at 3 p.m. today, Aug. 2, to hear from senior leadership during a prelaunch teleconference.

Participants include:

Bill Spetch, operations integration manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
Meghan Everett, deputy chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
Ryan Tintner, vice president, civil space systems, Northrop Grumman
Jared Metter, director, flight reliability, SpaceX
Melody Lovin, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to deliver more than 8,200 pounds of crew supplies, equipment, and science experiments to the orbiting laboratory.

Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron are currently predicting a 50% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. Primary weather concerns are for potential violations of the cumulus cloud, surface electric fields, and thick cloud layers rules.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.