Cygnus Separates From Antares Second Stage

Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket carrying the S.S. Ellison Onizuka Cygnus cargo spacecraft lifted off at 6:01 p.m. EDT from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Space Port Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Cygnus is on its way to the International Space Station with about 8,200 pounds of cargo.

Live launch coverage on NASA TV has wrapped. Commands will be given after 8 p.m. EDT to deploy the spacecraft’s solar arrays.

 

Live Launch Commentary Airing Now for Northrop Grumman CRS-16

NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is targeting today for the launch of its 16th resupply mission to the International Space Station. The team is now targeting 6:01 p.m. EDT for launch. Live launch commentary has begun on NASA TV.

Watch launch coverage live. 

Loaded with about 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 at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

A launch today would mean a scheduled arrival at the space station Thursday, Aug. 12, of the Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the SS Ellison Onizuka.

About 60 Minutes Until Launch; Moved to 6:01 p.m

The Antares launch has moved until 6:01 p.m. which enabled teams to resolve a minor ground support issue.

The latest Wallops Range forecast keeps weather at 90% favorable for the 6:01 p.m. EDT launch today of NASA commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman‘s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague, Virginia. The International Space Station-bound Cygnus is loaded with about 8,200 pounds of cargo.

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.

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.