For the NG-16 mission, the Cygnus spacecraft will deliver to the space station approximately 8,200 lb (3,700 kg) of cargo, which will include dozens of new and existing investigations, along with crew supplies.
On August 10th, a Cygnus resupply spacecraft aboard Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket has lifted off at 6:01 p.m. EDT from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia's Eastern Shore. Approximately three hours after takeoff, Cygnus' solar arrays successfully deployed, collecting sunlight to power the spacecraft on its route to the ISS.
On Thursday, August 12th, around 6:10 a.m., the spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the space station. NASA astronaut Megan McArthur will use the ISS robotic arm Canadarm2 to grab Cygnus. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet will monitor telemetry during the rendezvous, capture, and installation on the Earth-facing port of the Unity module.
The NG-16 mission is carrying dozens of scientific investigations. The crew will receive a material that simulates moon dust, which will be used to create items using the space station's 3D printer.
Astronauts will also study slime mold for a French educational experiment called Blob, and they will also receive a new technology that demonstrates carbon dioxide removal from a spacecraft and an infrared-detecting device that will be used as a prototype for future tracking satellites.
According to the Associated Press, astronauts on the space station will also get a special delivery, which includes "fresh apples, tomatoes, and kiwi, along with a pizza kit and cheese smorgasbord."
For its 16th resupply flight, Northrop Grumman chose to name its Cygnus ship after the late astronaut Ellison Onizuka. He was the first Asian-American astronaut to fly to space and was a member of NASA's Astronaut Class of 1978. Only a year after flew on his first space mission, Onizuka lost his life in 1986 when Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after launch.
You can watch the spacecraft's approach and arrival beginning at 4:45 a.m. ET live on the space agency's website, the NASA app, and NASA TV. After its arrival, Cygnus will remain at the space station until November, when it will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and dump thousands of pounds of debris in a fiery return.
Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature. Full profile
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