Equipment for dozens of science experiments has been loaded inside Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft for launch to the space station today. The astronauts of Expedition 45 and 46, including yearlong crew member Scott Kelly, will put the gear to use for research into numerous fields including work that, while done in orbit, will still improve life on Earth. Also, the research is expected to help answer the difficult challenges of sending humans o long missions into deep space, including an eventual journey to Mars.
Of the more than 7,380 pounds of gear inside the Cygnus, much of it is oriented toward science including a new life science facility that will support studies on cell cultures, bacteria and other microorganisms, a microsatellite deployer and the first microsatellite that will be deployed from the space station, along with experiments that will study the behavior of gases and liquids, clarify the thermo-physical properties of molten steel, and evaluate flame-resistant textiles.
Cygnus also will deliver replacement cargo items including a set of Microsoft HoloLens devices for use in NASA’s Sidekick project, a safety jet pack astronauts wear during spacewalks known as SAFER, and high pressure nitrogen and oxygen tanks to plug into the station’s air supply network.