The Wallops Range L-24 hour forecast issued today for tomorrow’s Nov. 6 launch of Northrop Grumman’s 18th resupply mission to the International Space Station continues to be 80% favorable for weather conditions, with the main concern being a slight chance of low-level clouds that may potentially violate cloud ceiling requirements.
Unseasonably warm conditions and tranquil weather are expected through this weekend. A cold front will be located over the Appalachian Mountains Sunday morning, providing light southerly surface flow and upper-level cirrus cloudiness over the Wallops Region. An increase of low-level moisture over the Wallops region due to the light winds may provide some low-level clouds over the Wallops region near launch time. At this time, the primary concern for launch would be a slight chance of low-level clouds.
NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is targeting 5:50 a.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 6, for the launch.
A prelaunch briefing will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website today beginning at 1 p.m. to highlight launch preparations for Northrop Grumman’s 18th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station to deliver more than 8,200 pounds of research, supplies, and hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.
Viewers can submit questions for the briefings using #askNASA on social media.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft will launch on the company’s Antares rocket from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of the state.
The prelaunch briefing participants:
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program
Heidi Parris, associate program scientist for the International Space Station
Steve Krein, vice president, Civil and Commercial Space, Northrop Grumman
Kurt Eberly, director, Space Launch Programs, Northrop Grumman
Roosevelt “Ted” Mercer Jr., CEO and executive director, Virginia Space
Jeff Reddish, range chief, NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
The Wallops Range L-48 hour forecast issued today for the Nov. 6 launch of Northrop Grumman’s 18th resupply mission to the International Space Station continues to be 80% favorable for weather conditions, with the main concern being a slight chance of low-level clouds that may potentially violate cloud ceiling requirements.
Unseasonably warm conditions and tranquil weather are expected through this weekend. A cold front will be located over the Appalachian Mountains Sunday morning, providing light southerly surface flow and upper-level cirrus cloudiness over the Wallops Region. An increase of low-level moisture over the Wallops region due to the light winds may provide some low-level clouds over the Wallops region near launch time. At this time, the primary concern for launch would be a slight chance of low-level clouds.
NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is targeting 5:50 a.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 6, for the launch.
The Wallops Range weather office forecast issued today for the Nov. 6 launch of Northrop Grumman’s 18th resupply mission to the International Space Station puts weather at 80% favorable, with the main concern being a slight chance of low-level clouds that may potentially violate cloud ceiling requirements.
Unseasonably warm conditions and tranquil weather are expected through this weekend. A cold front will be located over the Appalachian Mountains Sunday morning, providing light southerly surface flow and upper-level cirrus cloudiness over the Wallops Region. An increase of low-level moisture over the Wallops region due to the light winds may provide some low-level clouds over the Wallops region near launch time. At this time, the primary concern for launch would be a slight chance of low-level clouds.
NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is targeting 5:50 a.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 6, for the launch.
The next resupply mission to the International Space Station from commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is preparing for launch during a window that opens 5:50 a.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 6, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Loaded with more than 8,200 pounds of research, crew supplies, and hardware, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft will launch on the company’s Antares rocket from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A on Wallops Island.
Live coverage of the launch will air on NASA Television, the agency’s website and the NASA app beginning at 5:30 a.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 6, with a prelaunch briefing Saturday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. EDT.
Live coverage of the mission countdown is scheduled to begin at approximately 1:50 a.m. EDT on the Wallops IBM Cloud Video site. Note that the time changes from Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) to Eastern Standard Time (EST) at 2 a.m., Nov. 6.
The NASA Visitor Center at Wallops will be open for this launch. Gates open at 3:30 a.m. EST. Viewing locations on Chincoteague Island include Robert Reed Park on Main Street or Beach Road spanning the area between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. The Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Atlantic beaches also provide good viewing locations.
Members of the public can register to attend the launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this launch includes curated launch resources, timely mission updates, and a virtual guest passport stamp following a successful launch.
Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations.
Research investigations launching to the orbiting laboratory aboard this Cygnus include:
a facility that attempt to advance 3D biological printing of human tissue in space
a study taking advantage of microgravity to better understand catastrophic mudflows that can occur after wildfires
Uganda and Zimbabwe’s first satellites developed as a part of the BIRDS program, an interdisciplinary project for non-space faring countries
an investigation into how microgravity influences ovary function
an experiment that studies if changes space-grown plants undergo to adapt to microgravity can be transmitted through seeds to the next generation
Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver critical science research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations at the only laboratory in space.