Countdown Underway for NG-16 Launch; Now 90% favorable for weather

The countdown is underway for today’s 5:56 p.m. EDT launch window of NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman‘s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft. The latest weather update puts us at

90% favorable for the launch of this resupply mission to the International Space Station.

For those who’d like to follow along with the count early, live video and control room chatter is now airing on NASA Wallops’ IBM Cloud Video. Live coverage of the launch with commentary will air on NASA Television, the agency’s website and the NASA app beginning at 12 p.m. EST.

The five-minute launch window opens at 5:56 p.m. EDT, with liftoff taking place at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague, Virginia.

In this time-lapse video, a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is transported from the Horizontal Integration Facility to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A. There it is lifted to its vertical position, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility/Patrick Black

The NASA Visitor Center — including its parking lot — at Wallops will be CLOSED for this launch.

Viewing locations on Chincoteague Island include Robert Reed Park on Main Street or Beach Road spanning the area between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. The beach at the Assateague Island National Seashore/Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge will NOT be open during the launch.

NG-16 Launch Visibility Map
NG-16 Launch Visibility Map

This launch occurs during daylight hours, so it will not be as visible as a launch at night. However, depending on cloud cover and other local conditions (such as elevation and obstruction of the horizon), it still may be visible in the Mid-Atlantic region.

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.

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.

L-24 Weather Update – Still 80% Favorable for Tomorrow’s Antares Launch

The Monday Wallops Range forecast keeps weather at 80% favorable for tomorrow’s launch window of NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman‘s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft.

The primary concern for launch at this time is a slight chance of violating the cumulus cloud rule.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is in the vertical launch position on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. The CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft is named honor of American astronaut Ellison Onizuka who was the first Asian American to fly in space. Onizuka’s first space mission was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-C in 1985. The launch is scheduled 5:56 p.m. EDT, Aug. 10, 2021. Credit: NASA Wallops/ Terry Zaperach

Northrop Grumman is targeting 5:56 p.m EDT Tuesday, Aug. 10, for the International Space Station-bound Cygnus spacecraft, loaded with about 8,200 pounds of research, crew supplies, and hardware. Launch will be from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague, Virginia. 

Live coverage of the launch will air on NASA Television, the agency’s website and the NASA app beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 10.

Prelaunch Briefing This Afternoon for Northrop Grumman CRS-16 Launch

A prelaunch briefing will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website today beginning at 1 p.m. EDT to highlight launch preparations for Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station to deliver approximately 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.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is in the vertical launch position on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. The CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft is named honor of American astronaut Ellison Onizuka who was the first Asian American to fly in space. Onizuka’s first space mission was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-C in 1985. The launch is scheduled 5:56 p.m. EDT, Aug. 10, 2021. Credit: NASA Wallops/ Terry Zaperach

The Cygnus is scheduled for launch on the company’s Antares rocket at 5:56 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 10, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. 

The prelaunch briefing participants are: 

  • Joel Montalbano, International Space Station Program Manager 
  •  Kirt Costello, chief scientist for International Space Station Program 
  •  Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager, Tactical Space Systems, Northrop Grumman 
  • Kurt Eberly, director, Space Launch Programs, Launch and Missile Defense Systems, Northrop Grumman 
  •  Brittany McKinley, Wallops Range Antares Project Manager 

Follow launch activities at the launch blog and @NASA_Wallops and learn more about space station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts. 

Weather Forecast at 80% Favorable for Tuesday’s NG CRS-16 Launch

The Wallops Range forecast issued for the Aug. 10 launch of Northrop Grumman’s 16th resupply mission to the International Space Station puts weather at 80% favorable, with cumulus clouds being the main weather concern. 

NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is targeting 5:56 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 10, for the launch. 

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is in the vertical launch position on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. The CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft is named honor of American astronaut Ellison Onizuka who was the first Asian American to fly in space. Onizuka’s first space mission was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-C in 1985. The launch is scheduled 5:56 p.m. EDT, Aug. 10, 2021. Credit: NASA Wallops/ Terry Zaperach

Loaded with approximately 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 at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. 

Live coverage of the launch will air on NASA Television, the agency’s website and the NASA app beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 10, with a prelaunch briefing  Monday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. EDT. 

NASA Invites the Public to Virtual NASA Social Event for Next Northrop Grumman Cygnus Launch Set for Aug. 10

The Northrop Grumman (NG) CRS-16 Cargo Resupply mission will launch on Tuesday, Aug. 10,at 5:56 p.m. EDT carrying the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station.

We’re inviting the public to participate in a virtual #NASAsocial event for the Northrop Grumman CRS-16 Cargo Resupply mission. The #Cygnus spacecraft will carry nearly 8,200 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is in the vertical launch position on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. The CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft is named honor of American astronaut Ellison Onizuka who was the first Asian American to fly in space. Onizuka’s first space mission was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-C in 1985. The launch is scheduled 5:56 p.m. EDT, Aug. 10, 2021. Credit: NASA Wallops/ Terry Zaperach 

The launch is scheduled Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at 5:56 p.m. EDT from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island. It will launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A launch pad. The launch will be live streamed.

While we cannot invite the public onsite for one of our usual NASA Social events, we are excited to present an opportunity for people of all ages from all around the world to participate in. 

We will share videos and information up until the day of launch including: 

  • Science overviews
  • Virtual viewing of the NG CRS-16 launch 
  • Behind-the-scenes of a launch

    RSVP to the Facebook event for social media updates to stay up to date on mission information, mission highlights, and interaction opportunities.