CRS-13 – Page 2 – Northrop Grumman

Next Northrop Grumman CRS-13 Launch Attempt: Feb. 14; 80% Favorable Weather Conditions

Northrop Grumman and NASA have set the next launch attempt for Feb. 14 at 3:43 p.m. EST to take advantage of an improved weather forecast, to provide time for testing the replaced ground sensors and to allow for refresh of critical late load science. The weather forecast calls for 80% favorable weather conditions. NASA TV coverage of the launch will begin at 3:15 p.m. EST.

On Sunday, Northrop Grumman scrubbed its Antares launch after off-nominal readings from a ground support sensor. The Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft remain healthy. A launch Friday would result in a capture of Cygnus on Sunday, Feb. 16 at approximately 5:11 a.m. EST. Rendezvous and capture coverage begins at 3:45 a.m. Installation coverage will begin at 6:45 a.m. For more information on this mission, please visit www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman and NASA’s homepage.

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.

Next Northrop Grumman CRS-13 Launch Attempt NET Feb. 13

Northrop Grumman scrubbed tonight’s Antares launch after off-nominal readings from a ground support sensor. Northrop Grumman and NASA have set the next launch attempt to no earlier than Feb. 13 at 4:06 p.m. EST, due to an unfavorable weather forecast over the next two days, and time required to address the ground support issue.

NASA TV coverage of the launch will begin at 3:30 p.m. EST. Teams will refresh 24-hour late load cargo the day before. The Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft remain healthy. A launch Thursday would result in a capture of Cygnus on Saturday, Feb. 15. For more information on this mission, please visit www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman and NASA’s homepage.

Northrop Grumman CRS-13 Launch Scrubbed

Northrop Grumman’s launch attempt of the NG CRS-13 cargo mission to the International Space Station was scrubbed due to off-nominal data from ground support equipment. The launch team is assessing the situation. NASA’s Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston has informed the space station crew that Northrop Grumman will assess a launch attempt on Monday; however, the weather forecast is not favorable. NASA and Northrop Grumman will provide additional information on NASA’s homepage as it becomes available.

Watch Northrop Grumman’s CRS-13 Launch Live Online

NASA’s commercial partner Northrop Grumman is scheduled to launch its Antares rocket, carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station, during a five-minute window opening today at 5:39 p.m. EST.

Watch NASA TV launch coverage live online at www.nasa.gov/live, starting at 5 p.m. EST.

Northrop Grumman’s 13th contracted commercial resupply services mission with NASA will deliver approx. 7,500 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen through a boat window at sunrise on Pad-0A, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Depending on local conditions, the launch may be visible throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Learn more about local and regional viewing opportunities.

Keep up with space station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Launch Day: Weather is 100% Favorable for Northrop Grumman’s CRS-13 Launch

It’s launch day! The latest weather forecast stands at 100% favorable for the launch of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Launch is scheduled for 5:39 p.m. EST.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen out of the back of a boat at sunrise on Pad-0A, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Northrop Grumman’s 13th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA will deliver more than 7,500 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station.

Weather Forecast Still 95% Favorable for Northrop Grumman CRS-13 Launch

The latest weather forecast continues to stand at 95% favorable for the scheduled launch of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket at 5:39 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 9, from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The only weather concerns being tracked are a slight chance of cumulus clouds and thick clouds.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is horizontal for the final cargo load on Pad-0A, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

A dry and seasonable airmass will preside over the Wallops region as a high pressure system provides uneventful weather today. A weak upper-level shortwave trough will move across the Mid-Atlantic tonight, producing an uptick in cloudiness into early Sunday morning. High pressure will build back into the local area by Sunday afternoon, leading to another seasonable day under partly cloudy skies.

Northrop Grumman’s 13th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA will send the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station to deliver more than 7,500 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

Watch Science and Prelaunch Briefings for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus Mission to Space Station

NASA’s commercial partner Northrop Grumman is scheduled to launch its Antares rocket from Pad-0A of Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at 5:39 p.m., Feb. 9, from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Two pre-launch briefings will air live on NASA TV and the agency’s online stream (nasa.gov/live) today at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST.

Antares is carrying Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft for the company’s 13th contracted commercial resupply mission for NASA to the space station. Cygnus will carry about 8,000 pounds of crew supplies and hardware, including new science and research investigations.

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE 11 a.m.: Mission managers will provide an overview and status of launch operations.

WHAT’S ON BOARD SCIENCE BRIEFING 3 p.m.: Scientists and researchers will discuss some of the investigations and technology demonstrations to be delivered to the space station.

Commander Peggy Whitson works on the OsteoOmics bone cell study that utilizes the Microgravity Science Glovebox inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory on May 2, 2017. Credits: NASA

The public can submit questions during the pre-launch press conference and the What’s on Board briefing using #askNASA. Media can submit questions during the prelaunch news conference and the What’s on Board briefing using #askNASA or via the media phone bridge. Contact Keith Koehler at keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov for phone dial-in information.

On Feb. 9, live coverage of the launch will begin at 5 p.m. EST. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

NG-13 Cygnus Named for Maj. Robert H. Lawrence, Jr.

In honor of the first African American to be selected as an astronaut, Northrop Grumman named the Cygnus spacecraft for the NG-13 cargo launch to the International Space Station “S.S. Robert H. Lawrence.”

The US Air Force (USAF) selected Maj. Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., on June 30, 1967, as a member of the third group of aerospace research pilots for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program, making him the first African-American to be selected as an astronaut by any national space program. Maj. Lawrence perished in a training flight in late 1967.

The MOL was a joint project of the USAF and the National Reconnaissance Office to obtain high-resolution photographic imagery of America’s Cold War adversaries. After the 1969 cancellation of the MOL program, NASA invited the younger (under 35) MOL astronauts to join its astronaut corps – seven of them transferred to NASA on August 14, 1969, as the Group 7 astronaut class and all of them went on to fly on the space shuttle in the 1980s.

Third group of MOL astronauts: Robert T. Herres, Robert H. Lawrence, Donald H. Peterson and James A. Abrahamson.

Latest Weather Forecast 95% Favorable for Northrop Grumman CRS-13 Launch

The latest weather forecast stands at 95% favorable for the scheduled launch Sunday, Feb. 9 of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. As of this time, cumulus clouds and thick clouds are the primary weather concerns being tracked for a launch attempt at 5:39 p.m. EST Sunday.

Northrop Grumman’s 13th contracted commercial resupply mission with NASA will send the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station to deliver approximately 8,000 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket is rolled out to Pad-0A, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Blustery conditions will continue today as a deep area of low pressure continues to move off to our northeast. Winds will subside overnight tonight, providing for a calm, uneventful Saturday. A weak upper level shortwave trough will then move across the Mid-Atlantic Saturday night, producing an uptick in cloudiness into early Sunday morning. High pressure will build back into the local area by Sunday afternoon, leading to another seasonable day under partly cloudy skies. Clouds begin to increase in the mid and upper- levels Sunday evening as another cold front approaches the region.

Latest Weather Forecast for Northrop Grumman’s CRS-13 Launch: 90% Favorable

The latest weather forecast stands at 90% favorable for the Feb. 9 launch of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. At this time, cumulus clouds are the only weather concern being tracked for a launch attempt on Sunday afternoon.

NASA’s commercial partner Northrop Grumman is scheduled to launch its 13th commercial resupply services mission, carrying more than 8,000 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware to the International Space Station, at 5:39 p.m. EDT on Feb. 9.

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen just after being raised into a vertical position on Pad-0A, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Low pressure will continue to slowly move northeastward across the Mid-Atlantic tonight, bringing periods of rain and gusty winds through Friday. There is an uptick in cloudiness and a slight chance of an isolated shower or snow flurry early Sunday morning, but high pressure will build back into the Mid-Atlantic by Sunday afternoon, allowing for dry conditions, decreasing cloudiness, and light winds.

Follow launch activities at the launch blog and @NASA_Wallops. 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.