NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => NGIS (Formerly Orbital ATK) - Antares/Cygnus Section => Topic started by: Olaf on 10/28/2020 06:44 pm
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https://twitter.com/SEOPSLLC/status/1320827552542433280 (https://twitter.com/SEOPSLLC/status/1320827552542433280)
NG-16 is looking pretty good Scheduled for July ‘21, our #Slingshot Deployer will be going up on NG-16 for an ABOVE station deployment! Click the link for our deployment process
http://ow.ly/MaEu50C3e63 (http://ow.ly/MaEu50C3e63)
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Is this a first "above the ISS deployment' or is it common?
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Is this a first "above the ISS deployment' or is it common?
It was already done a lot of times.
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Experiments:
Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE)
Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) Reconfigure
Advanced Colloids Experiment (ACE) T5-3
Advanced Colloids Experiment (ACE) T9-3
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https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/01/northrop-grumman-optimistic-to-receive-more-nasa-cargo-mission-orders/
Kurt Eberly, director of launch vehicles at Northrop Grumman, said the Ukrainian companies that build the Antares rocket’s core stages are ready to manufacture more rockets if needed.
The Antares core stages for the NG-14 launch Thursday and the NG-15 mission in February are currently at the Wallops launch site. Eberly said the core stages for the NG-16 and NG-17 missions are scheduled to be shipped from Ukraine to the United States by early December.
“Our Ukrainian suppliers are finishing up the cores for NG-16 and NG-17 as we speak,” Eberly said in an interview with Spaceflight Now.
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https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/01/northrop-grumman-optimistic-to-receive-more-nasa-cargo-mission-orders/
Kurt Eberly, director of launch vehicles at Northrop Grumman, said the Ukrainian companies that build the Antares rocket’s core stages are ready to manufacture more rockets if needed.
The Antares core stages for the NG-14 launch Thursday and the NG-15 mission in February are currently at the Wallops launch site. Eberly said the core stages for the NG-16 and NG-17 missions are scheduled to be shipped from Ukraine to the United States by early December.
“Our Ukrainian suppliers are finishing up the cores for NG-16 and NG-17 as we speak,” Eberly said in an interview with Spaceflight Now.
Good news for Wallops :)
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Cygnus NG-16, is the sixteenth planned flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its fifteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract with NASA.
The mission is planned to launch on 1 July 2021 for a 56 day mission at ISS. This is the fifth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.
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https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
According to SFN, new target launch date is August 01.
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0703-EX-ST-2021
WVSAT Mission Technical Description
The overall goal of the WVSAT mission, is to deploy small satellites with two distinct form factors,
to test ground station radar tracking, and in doing so, demonstrate rapid turnaround and deployment
of these satellites.
The experiment will use a total of 4 satellites, 2 ThinSats and 2 1U CubeSats, launched as a
secondary payload aboard NG16, from the mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island,
Virginia, Q3 2021. The satellites will be inserted into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), at 260 km apogee
and 180 km perigee, on an inclination from the equator of 51.6 degrees. They are deployed from a
single Canisterized Satellite Dispenser (CSD) mounted on the Antares second stage of the launch
vehicle. The ThinSats unfold accordion style as they exit the CSD; the two CubeSats are separate
from the ThinSats. Transmission will begin upon deployment, and cease when de-orbiting occurs.
See the Orbital Debris Assessment Report for details.
Each ThinSat spacecraft is comprised of multiple ThinSat units. Figure 1 shows a typical single
unit. One unit in WVSAT A has two frames layered together containing a single payload, as in
Figures 2. Figures 3, 4 and 5 show the composition and dimensions in mm of each spacecraft type,
and identify the spacecraft associated with the type.
...
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From Italy with love:
https://twitter.com/Thales_Alenia_S/status/1394207134842228737
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https://twitter.com/fccspace/status/1397213390301450246?s=21
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twitter.com/spacepat_o/status/1402386081484529673
Yesterday I spotted a spaceship (Cygnus) on my commute home! Had to go back for a second pic. 🤣
https://twitter.com/spacepat_o/status/1402414052941381633
This was on the outer loop of the Baltimore Beltway.
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Marshall Ships Next-Generation Air Filtration Hardware to Wallops for Flight to International Space Station
Jun 10, 2021
New air filtration technology developed, built, and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is bound for the International Space Station – where it will demonstrate advanced life support system capabilities that could help future explorers on the Moon and Mars breathe easier.
The new hardware, known as the 4-Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber, was shipped June 9 from Marshall to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, where it will be prepared to fly aboard the Cygnus NG-16 commercial resupply mission.
The scrubber is one of two next-generation Environmental Control and Life Support System technologies set to be tested on the space station for one year, helping recycle and regenerate most of the air and water necessary to sustain its crew – and proving advanced regenerative technology solutions for upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and eventual human excursions to Mars. The Thermal Amine Scrubber, delivered to the station in early 2021, uses actively heated and cooled amine beds – water purification technology used around the world – to remove carbon dioxide from the air.
Once installed, the new carbon dioxide scrubber will use commercial adsorbent materials to retain water vapor while filtering carbon dioxide out of the space station’s airflow. Adsorption is the use of beaded porous materials, known as “molecular sieves,” to separate metabolic carbon dioxide to be discarded or recycled.
The space station’s current Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly has conducted this task since early 2001. The 4-Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber is a design iteration of the current assembly, incorporating numerous engineering and technology changes to improve durability and maintainability. These upgrades and refinements are crucial for future exploration missions beyond Earth orbit. Once its year of technology demonstration is over and the system proves its capabilities, the new scrubber unit will be integrated into the station’s closed-loop recycling system for a minimum of three years to further demonstrate its viability for long-duration exploration missions and to contribute to station crew life support capabilities.
As many as 100 Marshall engineers, materials researchers, and safety personnel, plus sensor, filtration, and pump hardware specialists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, had a hand in the design, fabrication, and testing of the new hardware unit, said Donnie McCaghren, project manager for the 4-bed CO2 scrubber at Marshall.
“Our primary goal was increasing efficiency and maintainability, to ensure fully functioning, longer-lasting hardware on orbit with less need for crew maintenance,” McCaghren said. “We reduced the scrubber’s power consumption, improved the thermal stability and lifespan of the adsorbent materials, and added replaceable filters, more durable valves, and protective covers for the valve motors.”
The team also upgraded the adsorbent bed internal heating units and redesigned the beds to be circular rather than rectangular, which improves performance and reliability. They also used Marshall’s state-of-the-art 3D printers to prototype and test key components – a capability that could enable crews in orbit, in years to come, to quickly print replacement parts as needed, rather than wait for resupply flights from Earth.
Additionally, the new scrubber unit will enable testing of a first-of-its-kind, magnetic bearing air blower to push the air through its adsorption beds. The blower was developed by a commercial provider for NASA to replace an obsolete blower technology.
The new hardware is roughly the size of a small refrigerator and weighs approximately 450 pounds. Its operation and technology demonstration will be overseen on orbit by mission controllers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, with continuing contributions by Marshall space station hardware engineers.
The Cygnus NG-16 spacecraft, built by Northrop Grumman of Falls Church, Virginia, is scheduled to lift off later this summer.
Janet Anderson
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
256-544-0034
[email protected]
Last Updated: Jun 10, 2021
Editor: Lee Mohon
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/releases/2021/marshall-ships-next-generation-air-filtration-hardware-for-flight-to-iss.html
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A picture
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https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
According to SFN, new target launch date is August 01.
Given that the OFT-2 Starliner flight is the only scheduled US space launch for July, it is possible that NASA and Northrop Grumman could slightly move up the date of the Cygnus NG-16 launch.
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.@NASA invites the media to view the launch of the @NorthropGrumman #Cygnus space freighter from Virginia to the station on Aug. 10 at 5:55pm ET.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1412852667873902594
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New research is headed to the @Space_Station next month and media accreditation for the launch is now open! A Cygnus spacecraft will carry studies of slime molds, heat shields, 3D printing using simulated lunar soil, and more to space.
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1412883977636036614
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July 07, 2021
MEDIA ADVISORY M21-079
NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman’s August Launch from Virginia
Media accreditation is open for the launch from Virginia of Northrop Grumman’s 16th commercial resupply services mission to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station aboard its Cygnus spacecraft.
Northrop Grumman is targeting liftoff of its Antares rocket for no earlier than 5:55 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 10, from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island.
Both U.S. and international media, as described in NASA’s newly released agencywide media accreditation policy, must apply by 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 27. All accreditation requests must be sent to Keith Koehler at: [email protected]. Due to ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, registration for international media for this launch will be limited to international media already based in the United States.
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.
Highlights of space station research facilitated by this mission are:
The Redwire Regolith Print study, which demonstrates 3D printing in space using a material simulating rock and soil found on the surfaces of planetary bodies, such as the Moon.
Blob, an ESA (European Space Agency) investigation, which will allow students to see how slime molds’ behavior is affected by microgravity.
Capsules, which will deploy when Cygnus re-enters the atmosphere and transmit data to test an affordable thermal protection system, also known as a heat shield.
A new spacecraft carbon dioxide removal technology that could help future explorers on the Moon and Mars breathe more easily.
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 this laboratory in space. Cygnus also will carry a new modification kit, or mounting bracket, that astronauts will attach to the left (port) side of the station’s backbone truss in a location designated P4 during a spacewalk planned for late August. The mounting bracket will enable the installation of one of the next pair of new solar array to be at a later date.
Get more information about Northrop Grumman’s commercial resupply missions at:
https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman
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More @ISS_Research, tech demos, and supplies will be heading to @space_station aboard a @northropgrumman Cygnus spacecraft. Launch is set for 5:55 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 10 from @NASA_Wallops:
https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1413600595999666182
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-0XkF9EOBw
Meet NG-16: The S.S. Ellison Onizuka
Northrop Grumman names each Cygnus spacecraft in honor of an individual who has made great contributions to human spaceflight. For the NG-16 mission, Cygnus is named in honor of Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut. The S.S. Ellison Onizuka launches from Wallops Island, Virginia on August 10, 2021.
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Meet NG-16: The S.S. Ellison Onizuka, our next #Cygnus spacecraft for the @NASA commercial resupply mission that will launch on Aug. 10, to the @Space_Station.
https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1414630714272894978
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Has anyone information on any other cubesats besides WVSAT on this mission?
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https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1414630714272894978
https://youtu.be/D-0XkF9EOBw
Meet NG-16: The S.S. Ellison Onizuka, our next #Cygnus spacecraft for the @NASA
commercial resupply mission that will launch on Aug. 10, to the @Space_Station. Learn more: http://ms.spr.ly/6014nZYnG
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space/nasa-commercial-resupply-mission-ng-16/
4 PDF files attached and 2 portraits for Ellison Onizuka (tree files) and 2 patch files:
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The first TFR for this flight has just posted but appears to be 24 hours ahead of the announced launch target. Has this been moved up?
https://twitter.com/SpaceTfrs/status/1417456169434685475?s=20
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The same thing shows in the weekly District 5 report from the USCG that was issued this morning. I don't expect anything from the NGA for a while yet.
****VA – WALLOPS ISLAND ROCKET LAUNCH – DANGER ZONE****
The Launch Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, has advised that the area in
the Atlantic Ocean within the existing Danger Zone off Wallops Island and Chincoteague Inlet (depicted as 334.130) as shown on National Ocean
Service Chart 12210, will be hazardous to navigation because of a rocket launch during the periods and times stated above.
Primary: 8/9/2021 17:45 8/10/2021 20:15
Alternate: 8/10/2021 17:15 8/10/2021 19:45
Alternate: 8/11/2021 17:00 8/11/2021 19:30
Alternate: 8/12/2021 16:30 8/12/2021 19:00
Alternate: 8/13/2021 16:15 8/13/2021 18:30
Alternate: 8/14/2021 15:45 8/14/2021 18:15
Public ship avoidance area are in effect and bound by:
64.87 nautical miles hazard area approximately 61.29 nautical miles east of wallops island launch pad at centerpoint position 37-13.20N 74-27.59W.
153.51 nautical miles hazard area approximately 757 nautical miles east of wallops island launch pad at centerpoint position 29-08.90N 65-30.15W.
During the launch window, contact Wallops Plot via Marine Band (VHF) 12 and 22, or land line 757-824-1685.
Outside the launch window, contact Surveillance Coordinator (SC) Jordan West 757-824-2949 or Launch Director John Dickerson 757-894-2094.
Chart 12210
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What about numbering of CRS missions? Should this be like CRS-5, CRS-16 or something like CRS-27 keeping in mind Dragon's mission? Is there any system?
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What about numbering of CRS missions? Should this be like CRS-5, CRS-16 or something like CRS-27 keeping in mind Dragon's mission? Is there any system?
Each provider has their own numbering. The SpaceX missions are properly referred to as SpX-##, not CRS-##.
This correctly reflected in the title of this topic:
SpaceX F9/Dragon 2 : CRS2 SpX-23 : late August 2021 (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52283.0)
CRS2 is because it is the second Commercial Resupply Services contract.
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What about numbering of CRS missions? Should this be like CRS-5, CRS-16 or something like CRS-27 keeping in mind Dragon's mission? Is there any system?
Each provider has their own numbering. The SpaceX missions are properly referred to as SpX-##, not CRS-##.
This correctly reflected in the title of this topic:
SpaceX F9/Dragon 2 : CRS2 SpX-23 : late August 2021 (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52283.0)
Ok. It means, officially it is NG-## without adding CRS number.
About SpaceX: NASA use to refer in their press-releases as CRS-##, 1 through 22 by now. Altogether it makes double reference For Dragons (CRS and SpX, numbers match). I thought there is something like that here.
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Science Launching on Northrop Grumman CRS-16 Mission to the Space Station
https://youtu.be/R-jc-dTdK5g
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July 26, 2021
MEDIA ADVISORY M21-090
NASA Previews Science on Next Northrop Grumman Space Station Mission
NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 2, to discuss science investigations and technology demonstrations launching on Northrop Grumman’s 16th commercial resupply mission for the agency to the International Space Station.
Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at:
http://www.nasa.gov/live
Northrop Grumman is targeting no earlier than 5:56 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10, for the launch of its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. The Cygnus spacecraft will carry crew supplies, scientific research, and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 65 crew.
To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Stephanie Schierholz at: 202-358-4997 or [email protected] by 9 a.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 2, for dial-in information.
Questions also can be submitted on social media using #AskNASA.
Bryan Dansberry, program scientist for the International Space Station Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, will provide an overview of the research and technology aboard the Cygnus spacecraft.
Also participating in the briefing are:
Michael Snyder, chief technology officer at Made in Space, who will discuss the Redwire Regolith Print study, which demonstrates 3D printing in space using a material simulating rock and soil found on the surfaces of planetary bodies, such as the Moon.
Dr. Ngan F. Huang, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University and principal investigator of Cardinal Muscle, who will discuss this investigation to evaluate whether engineered human muscle cells cultured in microgravity are a valid model for studying muscle loss.
Donnie McCaghren, project manager at NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Michael Salopek of Johnson, co-investigator, will talk about a new spacecraft carbon dioxide removal technology about how this demonstration could help future explorers on the Moon and Mars breathe more easily.
Dr. Audrey Dussutour, director of research at the French National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS), slime mold specialist and principal investigator, who will discuss Blob, an ESA (European Space Agency) investigation, which will allow students to see how slime molds’ behavior is affected by microgravity.
Nancy Hall, project manager of the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE), and Issam Mudawar, director of the Purdue University Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory and principal investigator, will discuss the importance of this fluid physics technology for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
Dr. Alexandre Martin, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky and principal investigator of KREPE, and John Schmidt, mechanical engineering graduate student at the University of Kentucky. KREPE will test an affordable thermal protection system, also known as a heat shield, deploying when Cygnus re-enters the atmosphere at the conclusion of its mission.
High-resolution photos and videos of the research that will be discussed are available for download at:
https://images.nasa.gov/album/Northrop_Grumman_CRS-16_Science
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.
The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and enables research not possible on Earth. NASA recently celebrated 20 years of continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, which has hosted 243 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in exploration, including future human missions to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
Members of the public can attend the launch virtually, receiving mission updates and opportunities normally reserved for on-site guests. To participate, members of the public can register for email updates to stay up to date on mission information, mission highlights, and interaction opportunities.
For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman
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https://youtu.be/_buU7Pc81D0
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The same thing shows in the weekly District 5 report from the USCG that was issued this morning. I don't expect anything from the NGA for a while yet.
****VA – WALLOPS ISLAND ROCKET LAUNCH – DANGER ZONE****
The Launch Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, has advised that the area in
the Atlantic Ocean within the existing Danger Zone off Wallops Island and Chincoteague Inlet (depicted as 334.130) as shown on National Ocean
Service Chart 12210, will be hazardous to navigation because of a rocket launch during the periods and times stated above.
Primary: 8/9/2021 17:45 8/10/2021 20:15
Alternate: 8/10/2021 17:15 8/10/2021 19:45
Alternate: 8/11/2021 17:00 8/11/2021 19:30
Alternate: 8/12/2021 16:30 8/12/2021 19:00
Alternate: 8/13/2021 16:15 8/13/2021 18:30
Alternate: 8/14/2021 15:45 8/14/2021 18:15
Public ship avoidance area are in effect and bound by:
64.87 nautical miles hazard area approximately 61.29 nautical miles east of wallops island launch pad at centerpoint position 37-13.20N 74-27.59W.
153.51 nautical miles hazard area approximately 757 nautical miles east of wallops island launch pad at centerpoint position 29-08.90N 65-30.15W.
During the launch window, contact Wallops Plot via Marine Band (VHF) 12 and 22, or land line 757-824-1685.
Outside the launch window, contact Surveillance Coordinator (SC) Jordan West 757-824-2949 or Launch Director John Dickerson 757-894-2094.
Chart 12210
The weekly District 5 report quoted above is from two weeks ago. Last week's report had the same thing, with August 9 as the Primary Day. This week's report is corrected, with August 10 as the Primary Day.
****VA – WALLOPS ISLAND ROCKET LAUNCH – DANGER ZONE****
The Launch Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, has advised that the area in
the Atlantic Ocean within the existing Danger Zone off Wallops Island and Chincoteague Inlet (depicted as 334.130) as shown on National Ocean
Service Chart 12210, will be hazardous to navigation because of a rocket launch during the periods and times stated above.
Primary: 8/10/2021 17:15 8/10/2021 19:45
Alternate: 8/11/2021 17:00 8/11/2021 19:30
Alternate: 8/12/2021 16:30 8/12/2021 19:00
Alternate: 8/13/2021 16:15 8/13/2021 18:30
Alternate: 8/14/2021 15:45 8/14/2021 18:15
Public ship avoidance area are in effect and bound by:
64.87 nautical miles hazard area approximately 61.29 nautical miles east of wallops island launch pad at centerpoint position 37-13.20N 74-27.59W.
153.51 nautical miles hazard area approximately 757 nautical miles east of wallops island launch pad at centerpoint position 29-08.90N 65-30.15W.
During the launch window, contact Wallops Plot via Marine Band (VHF) 12 and 22, or land line 757-824-1685.
Outside the launch window, contact Surveillance Coordinator (SC) Jordan West 757-824-2949 or Launch Director John Dickerson 757-894-2094.
Chart 12210
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Will you be watching? Our #Cygnus spacecraft is set to launch Aug. 10 at 5:56 p.m. ET to the @Space_Station aboard our #Antares rocket from @NASA_Wallops.
https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1422618300060774404
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Around the world, research is getting packed up and prepared for launch to the @Space_Station! This experiment will accompany studies of everything from 3D printing to muscle loss on a journey to station next week: https://g
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1422946767612616709
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August 04, 2021
MEDIA ADVISORY M21-093
NASA TV Coverage Set for Next International Space Station Cargo Launch
NASA and Northrop Grumman are targeting 5:56 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 10, for the company’s 16th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Live coverage of the launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website beginning at 5:30 p.m. NASA also will hold a prelaunch news briefing Monday, Aug. 9.
Loaded with more than 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.
The Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the SS Ellison Onizuka in honor of the first Asian American astronaut, will arrive at the space station Thursday, Aug. 12. At about 6:10 a.m., Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Megan McArthur will capture Cygnus with the station’s robotic arm, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet will support her. After Cygnus capture, mission control in Houston will send ground commands for the station’s arm to rotate and install the cargo spacecraft on the Earth-facing port of the station’s Unity module.
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 this laboratory in space. 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. This Cygnus carries experiments that demonstrate 3D printing with dust, use engineered tissue to study muscle loss, and analyze growth of slime mold.
Cygnus also will carry a new mounting bracket that astronauts will attach to the port side of the station’s backbone truss during a spacewalk planned for late August. The mounting bracket will enable the installation of one of the next pair of new solar arrays at a later date.
Complete coverage of launch activities is as follows:
Monday, August 9
1 p.m. – Prelaunch News Conference
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program
Kirt Costello, chief scientist, 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
Media can submit questions during the prelaunch press conference by emailing Grey Hautaluoma at [email protected].
Tuesday, August 10
5:30 p.m. – Launch coverage begins for lift off at 5:56 p.m.
Thursday, August 12
4:45 a.m. – Rendezvous coverage begins
6:10 a.m. – Capture of Cygnus with NASA astronaut Megan McArthur operating the space station’s robotic arm
8 a.m. – Cygnus installation operations coverage
The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until November when it will depart the station, disposing of several tons of trash during a fiery reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Learn more about Northrop Grumman’s 16th commercial resupply services mission at:
https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman
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.@NASA and @NorthropGrumman are targeting the launch of the #Cygnus space freighter to the station for 5:56pm ET on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1423005007926923275
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New experiments are scheduled to launch to the @Space_Station at 5:56pm EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 10! From slime molds to a test of 3D printing with simulated lunar dust, there's a lot to get excited about aboard this rocket.
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1423007005070012421
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NASA Invites the Public to Virtual NASA Social Event for Next Northrop Grumman Cygnus Launch Set for Aug. 10
Madison Arnold Posted on August 5, 2021
The Northrop Grumman (NG) CRS-16 Cargo Resupply mission will launch on Tuesday, Aug. 10,at 5:56 p.m. EST 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.
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-16launch
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.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/05/nasa-invites-the-public-to-virtual-nasa-social-event-for-next-northrop-grumman-cygnus-launch-set-for-aug-10/
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The confusion about August 9 continues with this NGA notice being issued which includes August 9 ...
050538Z AUG 21
NAVAREA IV 668/21(12,25,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
VIRGINIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
092145Z TO 100015Z AUG, ALTERNATE
102115Z TO 102345Z, 112100Z TO 112330Z,
122030Z TO 122300Z, 132015Z TO 132230Z
AND 141945Z TO 142215Z AUG
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 37-39N 075-31W, 37-50N 075-31W,
37-57N 075-27W, 37-52N 075-17W,
37-47N 075-08W, 36-37N 073-23W,
36-27N 073-44W.
B. 31-23N 065-17W, 28-31N 062-11W,
26-52N 064-05W, 30-03N 067-03W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 142315Z AUG 21.
... then 18 minutes later it was canceled and replaced with this notice which does not include August 9 ...
050556Z AUG 21
NAVAREA IV 669/21(12,25,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
VIRGINIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
102115Z TO 102345Z AUG, ALTERNATE
112100Z TO 112330Z, 122030Z TO 122300Z,
132015Z TO 132230Z AND 141945Z TO 142215Z AUG
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 37-39N 075-31W, 37-50N 075-31W,
37-57N 075-27W, 37-52N 075-17W,
37-47N 075-08W, 36-37N 073-23W,
36-27N 073-44W.
B. 31-23N 065-17W, 28-31N 062-11W,
26-52N 064-05W, 30-03N 067-03W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 668/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 142315Z AUG 21.
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The Exp 65 crew multi-tasked on physics, spacewalk gear and cargo transfers today. The @NorthropGrumman #Cygnus is also on track to resupply the station next week.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1423333561181089792
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Teams are prepping Cygnus for launch to the @Space_Station next week! The spacecraft will carry engineered muscle tissue, a fluids research facility, a carbon dioxide removal system, slime molds, and more.
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1423373281495814149
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Behind-the-scenes processing of Cygnus
jadkins1 Posted on August 5, 2021
The Northrop Grumman and Wallops teams have been hard at work preparing the Cygnus spacecraft for its journey to the International Space Station. Check out these behind-the-scenes photos of the process!
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/05/behind-the-scenes-processing-of-cygnus/
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The next #Cygnus cargo mission to the station will deliver over 2,300 pounds of new science experiments including a muscle study and 3-D printing investigation.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1423664842645381124
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https://youtu.be/k0tl3RWTB8E
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Cygnus NG-16 mission to space station - What experiments are onboard?
https://youtu.be/WsGAlrzF8FU
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.@NorthropGrumman's #Cygnus space freighter is targeted to launch on Tuesday at 5:56pm ET from @NASA_Wallops and resupply the station a day-and-a-half later.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1424481795102281728
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There's plenty of ways to virtually follow along with the next Antares cargo resupply launch to the @Space_Station from Wallops! Star-struck Join our virtual #NASASocial now: https://fb.me/e/4v2jsrVq1
And if you don't have Facebook, check out our Eventbrite:
https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1424470320535179267
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Weather Forecast at 80% Favorable for Tuesday’s NG CRS-16 Launch
Madison Arnold Posted on August 8, 2021
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.
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.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/08/weather-forecast-at-80-favorable-for-tuesdays-ng-crs-16-launch/
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The @northropgrumman Antares vehicle is set to launch tomorrow, Aug. 10, at 5:56 p.m. EDT carrying science, technology & supplies to the @Space_Station. Have a question about the launch? Use #AskNASA and tune in at 1 p.m. EDT today to get the answers:
https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1424726511693803523
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https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1424783928892825600
Weather remains 80% go for tomorrow’s 5:56 pm EDT launch of an Antares on the NG-16 cargo mission. Weather 70% go if the launch slips to Wednesday or Thursday.
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Prelaunch Briefing This Afternoon for Northrop Grumman CRS-16 Launch
Madison Arnold Posted on August 9, 2021
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.
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.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/09/prelaunch-briefing-this-afternoon-for-northrop-grumman-crs-16-launch/
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L-24 Weather Update – Still 80% Favorable for Tomorrow’s Antares Launch
Madison Arnold Posted on August 9, 2021
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.
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.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/09/l-24-weather-update-still-80-favorable-for-tomorrows-antares-launch/
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The @NorthropGrumman #Cygnus cargo craft rolled out to @NASA_Wallops launch pad on Saturday. Weather is forecast to be 80% favorable for a launch to the station on Tuesday at 5:56pm ET.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1424885706732802052
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The Cygnus spacecraft lifting off tomorrow will launch research to the @Space_Station. It will also perform tests on its way back to Earth in a few months, including KREPE, a demo of an affordable thermal protection system to protect spacecraft.
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1424861082468896771
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Northrop Grumman Set to Launch 16th Cargo Delivery Mission to the International Space Station
News Releases
“S.S. Ellison Onizuka” ready for liftoff aboard Antares rocket carrying record amount of critical cargo and supplies for crew aboard the station
DULLES, Va. – Aug. 9, 2021 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is set to launch the company’s 16th resupply mission (NG-16) to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract. For the NG-16 mission, the Cygnus spacecraft will launch aboard the company’s Antares rocket, carrying approximately 8,200 pounds of supplies, equipment and experiments for the astronauts aboard the station—the company’s largest resupply delivery to date.
Antares is set to launch Aug. 10 at 5:56 p.m. EDT from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Cygnus is scheduled to rendezvous with the Space Station on Aug. 12. Live coverage of the Antares launch and NG-16 berthing with the station will be available on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
Each Cygnus spacecraft is named in honor of an individual who has made significant contributions to the U.S. space program and human spaceflight. For the NG-16 mission, Cygnus commemorates Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut. After a long and successful career as a test pilot at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Onizuka was selected to become a NASA astronaut in 1978 and flew his first mission in 1985. In 1986, Onizuka and his crew tragically lost their lives during the launch of Space Shuttle Challenger.
The S.S. Ellison Onizuka will remain attached to the ISS for approximately three months before departing with up to 8,221 pounds (approximately 3,729 kilograms) of disposal cargo.
Riding as a payload on the Cygnus spacecraft is a Northrop Grumman, Space Development Agency (SDA) and Missile Defense Agency (MDA) experimental mission called the Prototype Infrared Payload (PIRPL). Upon arrival at the Space Station, PIRPL will begin collecting infrared data and expanding detection capabilities that will aid in the development of algorithms for the next generation of tracking satellites.
Details about the mission, as well as more info on Ellison Onizuka, are available on Northrop Grumman’s website.
https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-set-to-launch-16th-cargo-delivery-mission-to-the-international-space-station
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https://twitter.com/nasa_wallops/status/1425076473547870216
Weather update ⛅ The Wallops Range weather office continues to predict an 80% chance of favorable conditions, with cumulus clouds being the main concern for launch. The countdown starts in just a few hours for today's scheduled 5:56 p.m. ET liftoff time! go.nasa.gov/3iyM13C
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NASA | Pre-launch Briefing | Northrop Grumman CRS-16 Space Station Resupply Mission
https://youtu.be/U3zV70nBnFw
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The East Coast has a launch today!!
https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1425083631068983296
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Watch the Launch of Northrop Grumman's Resupply Mission to the International Space Station
https://youtu.be/k0tl3RWTB8E
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https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1425132913750941696
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https://youtu.be/Rkq_NXEYMNk
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Countdown Underway for NG-16 Launch; Now 90% favorable for weather
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
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.
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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.
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.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/countdown-underway-for-ng-16-launch-now-90-favorable-for-weather/
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NG 15 Rollout and Lift
https://youtu.be/bE2k08fmzRg
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Here is a map of viewing opportunities at launch time today...
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1425191492205912067
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Very disappointed that @NASA does not seem to have the usual Mission Overview pdf for NG-16. But at least they have the crucial cargo mass summary.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1425185755383701506
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About 60 Minutes Until Launch; Moved to 6:01 p.m
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
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.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/about-60-minutes-until-launch-moved-to-601-p-m/
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Live Launch Commentary Airing Now for Northrop Grumman CRS-16
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
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.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/live-launch-commentary-airing-now-for-northrop-grumman-crs-16/
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L-Minus 30 Minutes Poll: “GO” For Launch
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
Launch is “go,” following a “go/no go” poll at 30 minutes prior to the 6:01 p.m. EDT scheduled launch of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/l-minus-30-minutes-poll-go-for-launch-2/
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Weather is 90% favorable and the countdown is underway for today’s updated 6:01pm ET launch window of @NorthropGrumman‘s #Cygnus cargo craft to the station.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1425202597196144645
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https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1425212961254215682
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1425213161246965762
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L-Minus 10 minutes: “GO” For Launch
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
Launch team is “go” to proceed with final count to launch at 6:01 p.m. EDT.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/l-minus-10-minutes-go-for-launch-2/
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https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1425214539390464005
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https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1425214695221436427
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https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1425215457892737025
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Lift Off !
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1425216330089783300
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Liftoff of Northrop Grumman CRS-16!
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
The International Space Station-bound Cygnus spacecraft aboard Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket has lifted off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/liftoff-of-northrop-grumman-crs-16/
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https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1425216065743822857
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https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1425216626161557506
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https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1425216738929610757
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https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1425217114810560519
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https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1425217404238540801
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Cygnus separation !
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https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1425217955135111168
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https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1425218023607226368
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NASA TV coverage of Cygnus NG-16 arrival.
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Cygnus Separates From Antares Second Stage
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
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 at about 7:15 p.m. EDT to deploy the spacecraft’s solar arrays, which is expected to be complete around 7:45 p.m.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/cygnus-separates-from-antares-second-stage-3/
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NASA TV coverage of Cygnus NG-16 arrival.
Cygnus solar array deploy will not be carried live (about an hour from now), but NASA will release news of it when it happens.
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Awesome launch! 8)
Anyone got the exact lift-off time?
Also, it seems impossible to find the precise mass of Cygnus+payload, any clue?
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Does anyone know the brand or OS of the backup computer that was recycled?
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Awesome launch! 8)
Anyone got the exact lift-off time?
Also, it seems impossible to find the precise mass of Cygnus+payload, any clue?
And please, the exact lift-off weight of the rocket as a whole.
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Cygnus Solar Arrays Deployed; Launch Blog Coverage Concludes
Madison Arnold Posted on August 10, 2021
The solar arrays have successfully deployed on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft that is on its way to deliver approximately 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations, cargo, and supplies to the International Space Station after launching at 6:01 EDT Tuesday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia.
Coverage of the spacecraft’s approach and arrival to the orbiting laboratory will begin Thursday, Aug. 12, at 4:45 a.m. EDT on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.O
Canadarm2 robotic arm capture scheduled at 6:10 a.m. EDT. NASA TV coverage of the spacecraft’s installation will begin Thursday, Aug. 12, at 8 a.m. EDT.
This delivery is Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo flight to the space station and will support dozens of new and existing investigations.
Included aboard Cygnus for delivery to the space station are:
From dust to dwelling
Using resources available on the Moon and Mars to build structures and habitats could reduce how much material future explorers need to bring from Earth, significantly reducing launch mass and cost. The Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) study demonstrates 3D printing on the space station using a material simulating regolith, or loose rock and soil, found on the surfaces of planetary bodies such as the Moon. Results could help determine the feasibility of using regolith as the raw material and 3D printing as a technique for on-demand construction of habitats and other structures on future space exploration missions.
Maintaining muscles
As people age and become more sedentary on Earth, they gradually lose muscle mass, a condition called sarcopenia. Identifying drugs to treat this condition is difficult because it develops over decades. Cardinal Muscle tests whether microgravity can be used as a research tool for understanding and preventing sarcopenia. The study, funded by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, seeks to determine whether an engineered tissue platform in microgravity forms the characteristic muscle tubes found in muscle tissue. Such a platform could provide a way to rapidly assess potential drugs prior to clinical trials.
Taking the heat out of space travel
Longer space missions will need to generate more power, producing more heat that must be dissipated. Transitioning from current single-phase heat transfer systems to two-phase thermal management systems reduces size and weight of the system and provides more efficient heat removal. Because greater heat energy is exchanged through vaporization and condensation, a two-phase system can remove more heat for the same amount of weight than current single-phase systems. The Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) aims to develop a facility for collecting data about two-phase flow and heat transfer in microgravity. Comparisons of data from microgravity and Earth’s gravity are needed to validate numerical simulation tools for designing thermal management systems.
Cooler re-entries
The Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) demonstrates an affordable thermal protection system (TPS) to protect spacecraft and their contents during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Making these systems efficient remains one of space exploration’s biggest challenges, but the unique environment of atmospheric entry makes it difficult to accurately replicate conditions in ground simulations. TPS designers rely on numerical models that often lack flight validation. This investigation serves as an inexpensive way to compare these models to actual flight data and validate possible designs. Before flying the technology on the space station, researchers conducted a high-altitude balloon test to validate performance of the electronics and communications.
Getting the carbon dioxide out
Four Bed CO2 Scrubber demonstrates a technology to remove carbon dioxide from a spacecraft. Based on the current system and lessons learned from its nearly 20 years of operation, the Four Bed CO2 Scrubber includes mechanical upgrades and an improved, longer-lasting absorbent material that reduces erosion and dust formation. Absorption beds remove water vapor and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, returning water vapor to the cabin and venting carbon dioxide overboard or diverting it to a system that uses it to produce water. This technology could improve the reliability and performance of carbon dioxide removal systems in future spacecraft, helping to maintain the health of crews and ensure mission success. It has potential applications on Earth in closed environments that require carbon dioxide removal to protect workers and equipment.
Mold in microgravity
An ESA investigation, Blob, allows students aged 10 to 18 to study a naturally-occurring slime mold, Physarum polycephalum, that is capable of basic forms of learning and adaptation. Although it is just one cell and lacks a brain, Blob can move, feed, organize itself, and even transmit knowledge to other slime molds. Students replicate experiments conducted by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet to see how the Blob’s behavior is affected by microgravity. Using time-lapse video from space, students can compare the speed, shape, and growth of the slime molds in space and on the ground. The French space agency Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales and the French National Center for Scientific Research coordinate Blob.
These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2021/08/10/cygnus-solar-arrays-deployed-launch-blog-coverage-concludes-2/
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August 10, 2021
RELEASE 21-106
NASA Science, Cargo Launches on Northrop Grumman Resupply Mission
A Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station with more than 8,200 pounds of science investigations and cargo after launching at 6:01 p.m. EDT Tuesday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At 8:46 p.m., the spacecraft’s solar arrays successfully deployed to collect sunlight to power Cygnus on its journey to the station.
Cygnus is scheduled to arrive at the space station around 6:10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 12. NASA Television, the NASA app, and agency’s website will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s approach and arrival beginning at 4:45 a.m.
NASA astronaut Megan McArthur will use the space station’s robotic Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus upon its arrival, while ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet monitors telemetry during rendezvous, capture, and installation on the Earth-facing port of the Unity module.
This is Northrop Grumman’s 16th cargo flight to the space station and is the fifth under its Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract with NASA. Cygnus launched on an Antares 230+ rocket from the Virginia Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A at Wallops.
The resupply flight will support dozens of new and existing investigations. Included in the scientific investigations Cygnus is delivering to the space station are:
From dust to dwelling
Using resources available on the Moon and Mars to build structures and habitats could reduce how much material future explorers need to bring from Earth, significantly reducing launch mass and cost. The Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) study demonstrates 3D printing on the space station using a material simulating regolith, or loose rock and soil, found on the surfaces of planetary bodies such as the Moon. Results could help determine the feasibility of using regolith as the raw material and 3D printing as a technique for on-demand construction of habitats and other structures on future space exploration missions.
Maintaining muscles
As people age and become more sedentary on Earth, they gradually lose muscle mass, a condition called sarcopenia. Identifying drugs to treat this condition is difficult because it develops over decades. Cardinal Muscle tests whether microgravity can be used as a research tool for understanding and preventing sarcopenia. The study, funded by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, seeks to determine whether an engineered tissue platform in microgravity forms the characteristic muscle tubes found in muscle tissue. Such a platform could provide a way to rapidly assess potential drugs prior to clinical trials.
Taking the heat out of space travel
Longer space missions will need to generate more power, producing more heat that must be dissipated. Transitioning from current single-phase heat transfer systems to two-phase thermal management systems reduces size and weight of the system and provides more efficient heat removal. Because greater heat energy is exchanged through vaporization and condensation, a two-phase system can remove more heat for the same amount of weight than current single-phase systems. The Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) aims to develop a facility for collecting data about two-phase flow and heat transfer in microgravity. Comparisons of data from microgravity and Earth’s gravity are needed to validate numerical simulation tools for designing thermal management systems.
Cooler re-entries
The Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) demonstrates an affordable thermal protection system (TPS) to protect spacecraft and their contents during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Making these systems efficient remains one of space exploration’s biggest challenges, but the unique environment of atmospheric entry makes it difficult to accurately replicate conditions in ground simulations. TPS designers rely on numerical models that often lack flight validation. This investigation serves as an inexpensive way to compare these models to actual flight data and validate possible designs. Before flying the technology on the space station, researchers conducted a high-altitude balloon test to validate performance of the electronics and communications.
Getting the carbon dioxide out
Four Bed CO2 Scrubber demonstrates a technology to remove carbon dioxide from a spacecraft. Based on the current system and lessons learned from its nearly 20 years of operation, the Four Bed CO2 Scrubber includes mechanical upgrades and an improved, longer-lasting absorbent material that reduces erosion and dust formation. Absorption beds remove water vapor and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, returning water vapor to the cabin and venting carbon dioxide overboard or diverting it to a system that uses it to produce water. This technology could improve the reliability and performance of carbon dioxide removal systems in future spacecraft, helping to maintain the health of crews and ensure mission success. It has potential applications on Earth in closed environments that require carbon dioxide removal to protect workers and equipment.
Mold in microgravity
An ESA investigation, Blob, allows students aged 10 to 18 to study a naturally-occurring slime mold, Physarum polycephalum, that is capable of basic forms of learning and adaptation. Although it is just one cell and lacks a brain, Blob can move, feed, organize itself, and even transmit knowledge to other slime molds. Students replicate experiments conducted by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet to see how the Blob’s behavior is affected by microgravity. Using time-lapse video from space, students can compare the speed, shape, and growth of the slime molds in space and on the ground. The French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and the French National Center for Scientific Research coordinate Blob.
These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
Cygnus also will deliver a new mounting bracket that astronauts will attach to the port side of the station’s backbone truss during a spacewalk planned for late August. The mounting bracket will enable the installation of one of the next pair of new solar arrays at a later date.
The Cygnus spacecraft will remain at the space station until November before it disposes of several thousand pounds of trash through its destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Learn more about Northrop Grumman’s mission at:
http://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/
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A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA will deliver nearly 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station and its crew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky}
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NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, center, watches as a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA will deliver nearly 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station and its crew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
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Bob Cabana, NASA associate administrator, watches the launch of a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA will deliver nearly 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station and its crew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky}
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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, right, and former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, left, watch as a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 16th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA will deliver nearly 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station and its crew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky}
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Overview of some of the NG-16 cargo
https://www.issnationallab.org/iss360/northrop-grumman-crs-16-mission-overview/
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Solar arrays have deployed on Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo spacecraft, after today's launch from @NASA_Wallops. On Thurs., Aug. 12 at ~6:10am ET @Astro_Megan will use the @Space_Station's robotic arm to capture Cygnus upon its arrival:
https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1425268876825214979
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What a launch! #NG16 up close as #Antares lifted off at 6:01 PM Est from @NASA_Wallops
https://twitter.com/Zshauladventure/status/1425256799024865280
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Cygnus on its Way to Station as Crew Maintains Research
Mark Garcia Posted on August 11, 2021
The Expedition 65 crew is getting ready for the arrival of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft when it arrives Thursday morning. The International Space Station residents also continued microgravity research while preparing for an upcoming spacewalk today.
NASA TV will begin its broadcast of the Cygnus space freighter’s approach and rendezvous on Thursday at 4:45 a.m. EDT. NASA Flight Engineer Megan McArthur will be on duty in the cupola, the orbiting lab’s “window to the world,” and command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple Cygnus at about 6:10 a.m. ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Shane Kimbrough will be on hand monitoring spacecraft activities and assisting her in the cupola.
After McArthur and Pesquet complete the capture activities, robotics controllers in Mission Control will remotely guide Cygnus in the grips of the Canadarm2 and install it to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. Additionally, cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov are gathering excess Russian hardware today for disposal in Cygnus after its arrival.
McArthur and Pesquet had time for research work during the morning before spending the afternoon training for Cygnus’ arrival. McArthur injected algae into sample cassettes to nourish tardigrades, or “water bears,” being observed for their ability to survive extreme conditions. Pesquet focused on an experiment challenging European students to write computer code targeting conditions aboard spacecraft.
Commander Akihiko Hoshide and Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei continued servicing U.S. spacesuits ahead of a spacewalk to prepare the Port-4 truss structure for more roll out solar array installation work. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough cleaned and inspected vent fans in the Unity module and U.S. Quest airlock.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/08/11/cygnus-on-its-way-to-station-as-crew-maintains-research/
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The Exp 65 crew gets ready for @NorthropGrumman’s #Cygnus arriving early Thursday, conducts research and preps for the next spacewalk.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1425546740107825154
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Awesome launch! 8)
Anyone got the exact lift-off time?
Also, it seems impossible to find the precise mass of Cygnus+payload, any clue?
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=32006.msg2273355#msg2273355
August 10 22:01:09.300 - Cygnus (NG-16) launch
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range is 10 km to ISS per morning DPC
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This night, Unity nadir CBM survey...
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approach initiation burn complete
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NASA TV coverage started
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SSRMS and operators are ready !
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250 meter Hold Point "HP-1".
Cygnus switches to its TriDAR proximity navigation system to continue through final approach.
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CUCU "COTS Ultra-high Frequency Communication Unit" (the bi-directional,communications system will allow ISS crewmembers to monitor and command approaching or departing visiting spacecraft during cargo delivery missions to the station.)
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Resuming approach.
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Entering the KOS "Keep Out Sphere" (an imaginary circle drawn 200 meters (656 feet) around the station that prevents the risk of collision)
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Getting closer and closer....
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30 m hold point "HP-2".
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https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1425754444902412292
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GO/NO GO poll between NG MCC and MCC-H
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Resuming Final Approach to Capture Point.
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Nice view if ship against the clouds
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CP "Capture Point".
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Leslie Ringo: "GO for capture sequence".
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Cygnus in Free Drift (and ISS into a Fine Attitude Hold with thrusters disabled).
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SSRMS in motion....
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CAPTURE at 10.07 UTC !
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Post capture configuration: ISS crew safing SSRMS and then hand robotics off to ROBO at MCC-H
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Welcome to S.S. Ellison Onizuka !
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Next:
8 a.m. EDT – Coverage of the installation of the Northrop Grumman NG-16 Cygnus cargo craft to the International Space Station (All Channels)
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https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1425763033368907776
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The successful launch of the Antares launch vehicle was ensured by the RD-181 engines
08/12/2021 12:34
On Wednesday, August 11, 2021, at 01:01:55 Moscow time, the Antares-230 + launch vehicle with the American Cygnus NG-16 [SS Ellison Onizuka] cargo spacecraft was launched from the cosmodrome on the island. Wallops (Virginia, USA).
The successful launch of the Antares-230 + launch vehicle was ensured by the RD-181 engines operating at the first stage, produced at the Scientific and Production Association "Energomash" named after Academician V.P. Glushko (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation).
The Cygnus spacecraft will deliver payload to the International Space Station, including equipment and materials for scientific research. Cygnus is expected to arrive at the ISS on August 12th.
The ship is named after the first American astronaut with Asian roots to go into space, Ellison Onizuki (1946-1986).
https://www.roscosmos.ru/32162/
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We are receiving #Cygnus spacecraft today!
The freighter carries some interesting cargo, for example a 3D printer using lunar regolith simulant to check its feasibility to build various structures in future space missions.
https://twitter.com/novitskiy_iss/status/1425758075668021254
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The @Space_Station will also receive a new technology CO2 purification unit, as well as a mounting bracket that is to be installed on the solar panel carrying frame during the next spacewalk.
https://twitter.com/novitskiy_iss/status/1425759685207109635
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Cygnus spacecraft captured by space station's robotic arm
https://youtu.be/lPuYFA60mvI
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Astronaut Megan McArthur Commands Robotic Arm to Capture Cygnus
Mark Garcia Posted on August 12, 2021
At 6:07 a.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur used the International Space Station’s robotic Canadarm2 to grapple the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet monitored Cygnus systems during its approach. The spacecraft were flying about 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Lisbon, Portugal, at the time of capture.
Next, ground controllers will command the station’s arm to rotate and install Cygnus, dubbed the S.S. Ellison Onizuka, on the bottom of the station’s Unity module.
NASA Television coverage of installation will begin at 8 a.m., and installation of the Cygnus spacecraft to the space station is expected to be completed later this morning. Cygnus will remain at the orbiting laboratory for a three-month stay.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/08/12/astronaut-megan-mcarthur-commands-robotic-arm-to-capture-cygnus/
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SSRMS in move to align Cygnus tu Nadir Node-1 CBM
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Alignment.
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Continue to proceed with the alignment...
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Caught #Cygnus ! The #Cygnus is captured!
https://twitter.com/novitskiy_iss/status/1425786022500130818
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Realignment in progress
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ROBO Some difficulties with Ready to latch position
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Seems like they have resolved the problem
1st stage capture complete: 4 latches closed
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Waiting for 2nd stage capture confirmation.
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2nd stage capture: 16 bolds drived at 13.42 UTC.
Installation complete.
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capture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5MbxfFlMVM
berthing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Or9xjJ-RA
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Cygnus Installed on Unity Module for Cargo Transfers
Mark Garcia Posted on August 12, 2021
The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was bolted into place on the International Space Station’s Earth-facing port of the Unity module at 9:42 a.m. EDT. Cygnus will remain at the space station for about three months until the spacecraft departs in November.
The spacecraft’s arrival brings more than 8,200 pounds of research and supplies to space station. Highlights of cargo aboard Cygnus include:
From dust to dorm
Using resources available on the Moon and Mars to build structures and habitats could reduce how much material future explorers need to bring from Earth, significantly reducing launch mass and cost. The Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) study demonstrates 3D printing on the space station using a material simulating regolith, or loose rock and soil found on the surfaces of planetary bodies such as the Moon. Results could help determine the feasibility of using regolith as the raw material and 3D printing as a technique for on-demand construction of habitats and other structures on future space exploration missions.
Maintaining muscles
As people age and become more sedentary on Earth, they gradually lose muscle mass, a condition called sarcopenia. Identifying drugs to treat this condition is difficult because it develops over decades. Cardinal Muscle tests whether microgravity can be used as a research tool for understanding and preventing sarcopenia. The study seeks to determine whether an engineered tissue platform in microgravity forms the characteristic muscle tubes found in muscle tissue. Such a platform could provide a way to rapidly assess potential drugs prior to clinical trials.
Taking the heat out of space travel
Longer space missions will need to generate more power, producing more heat that must be dissipated. Transitioning from current single-phase heat transfer systems to two-phase thermal management systems reduces size and weight of the system and provides more efficient heat removal. Because greater heat energy is exchanged through vaporization and condensation, a two-phase system can remove more heat for the same amount of weight than current single-phase systems. The Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) aims to develop a facility for collecting data about two-phase flow and heat transfer in microgravity. Comparisons of data from microgravity and Earth’s gravity are needed to validate numerical simulation tools for designing thermal management systems.
Cooler re-entries
The Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) demonstrates an affordable thermal protection system (TPS) to protect spacecraft and their contents during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Making these systems efficient remains one of space exploration’s biggest challenges, but the unique environment of atmospheric entry makes it difficult to accurately replicate conditions in ground simulations. TPS designers rely on numerical models that often lack flight validation. This investigation serves as an inexpensive way to compare these models to actual flight data and validate possible designs. Before flying the technology on the space station, researchers conducted a high-altitude balloon test to validate performance of the electronics and communications.
Getting the CO2 out
Four Bed CO2 Scrubber demonstrates a technology to remove carbon dioxide from a spacecraft. Based on the current system and lessons learned from its nearly 20 years of operation, the Four Bed CO2 Scrubber includes mechanical upgrades and an improved, longer-lasting absorbent material that reduces erosion and dust formation. Absorption beds remove water vapor and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, returning water vapor to the cabin and venting carbon dioxide overboard or diverting it to a system that uses it to produce water. This technology could improve the reliability and performance of carbon dioxide removal systems in future spacecraft, helping to maintain the health of crews and ensure mission success. It has potential applications on Earth in closed environments that require carbon dioxide removal to protect workers and equipment.
Mold in microgravity
An ESA investigation, Blob, allows students aged 10 to 18 to study a naturally-occurring slime mold, Physarum polycephalum, that is capable of basic forms of learning and adaptation. Although it is just one cell and lacks a brain, Blob can move, feed, organize itself, and even transmit knowledge to other slime molds. Students replicate experiments conducted by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet to see how the Blob’s behavior is affected by microgravity. Using time-lapse video from space, students can compare the speed, shape, and growth of the slime molds in space and on the ground. The National Center for Space Studies (CNES) and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France coordinate Blob.
These are just a sample of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
Cygnus also will deliver a new mounting bracket that astronauts will attach to the port side of the station’s backbone truss during a spacewalk planned for late August. The mounting bracket will enable the installation of one of the next pair of new solar arrays at a later date.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/08/12/cygnus-installed-on-unity-module-for-cargo-transfers/
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https://youtu.be/1Ds8e7UuY78
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https://twitter.com/thom_astro/status/1425866729364807684
Today was like Christmas, as the heaviest ever Cygnus arrived with new supplies & science 💪 #MissionAlpha #CygnusNG16 facebook.com/ESAThomasPesqu…
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#BeforeAfter @Astro_Meganand I caught # CygnusNG16 this afternoon using the robotic arm: do you see THE detail that changes? . Before / after. Spot the change #MissionAlpha
https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1425867581563486213
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I have the impression that the Cygnus SwanNG-15 has just left, and yet its successor is already there with more than 3,700 kg of refueling and new experiences. He pursued us for 2 days, during which we took care of preparing his capture and his arrival.
https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1425866030769901572
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Cygnus Arrival and Hatch Open Complete
Norah Moran Posted on August 12, 2021
The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft’s hatch was opened this afternoon after successful rendezvous and berthing operations. At 6:07 a.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur used the International Space Station’s robotic Canadarm2 to grapple the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet monitored Cygnus systems during its approach. Cygnus was then bolted into place on the International Space Station’s Earth-facing port of the Unity module at 9:42 a.m. EDT. Cygnus will remain at the space station for about three months until the spacecraft departs in November.
The spacecraft’s arrival brings more than 8,200 pounds of research and supplies to space station. Highlights of cargo aboard Cygnus include research studying 3D printing using simulated lunar regolith, seeking to utilize microgravity to develop new means to treat a degenerative muscle condition on Earth, investigating new tactics to control heat during operations in space and during the intense heating of reentry, and testing a technology to remove carbon dioxide from spacecraft atmospheres with applications to future NASA exploration missions.
These are just a sample of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
NASA has continued to assess any integrated impacts to the space station from the inadvertent firing of thrusters on the newly arrived Russian Nauka module. Routine operations have continued uninterrupted since the event, with the space station prepared for the arrival of multiple spacecraft. Consistent with NASA policies, an investigation team is being formed to review the activity. NASA’s team will begin with identifying team members and defining the scope of the investigation. The team will focus on analyzing available data, cooperating with our Russian colleagues for any information they require for their assessment, and coordinating with the other international partners.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/08/12/cygnus-arrival-and-hatch-open-complete/
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Astronauts welcome the @NorthropGrumman Cygnus with hardware for new @ISS_Research today while NASA and international partners continue to assess Nauka incident
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1425907526462316548
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Busy day with Cygnus capture and first ingress! Tomorrow, we hunt down our care package (and start unloading all the science and supplies!).
https://twitter.com/Astro_Megan/status/1425930856443564035
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Snapped this picture early this morning right before @Astro_Megan and @Thom_astro captured the @NorthropGrumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft that delivered research and supplies to Station.
https://twitter.com/astro_kimbrough/status/1425957242830999553
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https://youtu.be/rVEf1VAxY_g
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This week the station welcomed the S.S. Ellison Onizuka Cygnus resupply spacecraft, named in honor of the first Asian American astronaut, and with it comes new science investigations. #SpaceToGround
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1426181752423206919
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ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/12/2021
Systems
Cygnus Capture/Berthing: The NG-16 Cygnus cargo spacecraft was captured today at 05:09 CT (224/10:09 GMT). The Cygnus spacecraft was then berthed to the Node1 Nadir Port and bolted into place. The crew performed leak checks, outfitted the vestibule, and ingressed into the Cygnus vehicle.
Completed Task List Activities:
SSC-UDON SP BPW-RVW
OBT-CYG VEH OPS-CBT
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
SSRMS Cygnus Install
System Configurations for Cygnus Berthing and configuring back to nominal after berthing.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2021/08/12/iss-daily-summary-report-8-12-2021/
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As NASA have not provided a pdf of their Mission Overview page, as they have done in the past, I've generated one for you.
https://www.nasa.gov/content/overview-for-northrop-grummans-16th-commercial-resupply-mission
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.@NorthropGrumman’s #Cygnus cargo craft reached the station on Thursday for a robotic capture with the @CSA_ASC #Canadarm2 commanded by @Astro_Megan.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1426570558649606145
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Both spacecraft were orbiting above Moldova near the Black Sea at the time of this photograph...
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1427063898415542277
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Welcome, Cygnus! Glad to have you on board. Thanks to you we not only have lots more science we can do up here, but we also had a pizza night on Saturday!
https://twitter.com/Astro_Sabot/status/1427712221308760065
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Special Delivery of one @Aki_Hoshide, the @Space_Station Commander and leader for our upcoming spacewalk.
https://twitter.com/Astro_Sabot/status/1427712422903681030
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.@Astro_Megan wins the Cygnus treasure hunt!
https://twitter.com/Astro_Sabot/status/1427712838534053894
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Welcome aboard the cargo ship SS Ellison Onizuka named after the first Asian American astronaut and this is what 3 tons of cargo looks like waiting to be unpacked!
https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1427994693170728963
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Welcome to the S.S. Ellison Onizuka – named after the first Asian American astronaut. Also: three tons of cargo, waiting to be unpacked.
https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1427995447742943236
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https://twitter.com/chrisg_nsf/status/1433145708559978498
The last Antares countdown was eventful, with a malfunctioning computer at T-6mins, a helium leak, & a boat. @NASASpaceflight talked with @northropgrumman about the issues & how the team got to a successful launch.
From Joseph Navin (@josephanavin)
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/09/ng-16-update/
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Nice close ups from (https://www.flickr.com/photos/thom_astro/51613820173/in/photostream/) Thomas of the Cygnus solar panels / deployment mechanism
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NASA and Northrop Grumman are scheduled to undock the Cygnus NG16 cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station next Saturday, November 20 at 16:00 UTC.
NASA to Air Northrop Grumman Cygnus Departure from Space StationNorthrop Grumman’s uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to depart the International Space Station on Saturday, Nov. 20, more than three months after delivering nearly 8,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo to the orbiting laboratory.Live coverage of the spacecraft’s departure will begin at 10:45 a.m. EST on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app.Flight controllers on the ground will send commands for the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach Cygnus from the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. The arm will then maneuver the spacecraft into position and release it at 11 a.m. Astronaut Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) will monitor Cygnus’ systems upon its departure from the space station.After departure, the Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) stowed inside Cygnus will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere, which can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations.Cygnus will deorbit on Wednesday, Dec. 15, following a deorbit engine firing to set up a destructive re-entry in which the spacecraft, filled with waste the space station crew packed in the spacecraft, will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.Cygnus arrived at the space station Aug. 12, following a launch two days prior on Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. It was the company’s 16th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft after NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut.
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https://twitter.com/AlxssaSaenz/status/1461880694599258113
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Ready to unberth...
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In move...
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Nov. 20, Saturday
10:45 a.m. – Release of the Northrop Grumman “Ellison Onizuka” Cygnus NG-16 cargo craft from the International Space Station; release scheduled at 11 a.m. EST (All Channels)
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https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/iss_ustream.html
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MCC-H (during Cygnus release briefing) to Matthias Maurer (who monitor Cygnus release):
"SSRMS is at release position,..."
https://twitter.com/astro_matthias/status/1461997719212503043
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https://twitter.com/Anton_Astrey/status/1462067468990652425
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Start of NASA Coverage .
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Matthias Maurer monitoring Cygnus departure from the Cupola
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Leslie Ringo: "GO for Cygnus departure on time"
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RELEASE at 16.01 UTC !
Snares within the LEE were commanded to open and release it athen the arm was slowly backed away from Cygnus to reach a safe free-drift and received an abort command, per the planned procedure, to initiate a three-minute maneuver to enter a prograde departure.
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Departure burn, and SSRMS complete his back away procedure.
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The MCCs.
Succesful departure burn complete.
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Out of KOS
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Leaving Approach ellipsoïd, now., ending integrated operations between NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston and NG Mission Operations Center in Dulles, Virginia.
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Farewell to the S.S. Ellison Onizuka.
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End of NASA TV coverage (and thx to our today's PAO Leah Cheshire).
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Next for Cygnus NG-16, release of KREPE "Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment".
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8022
"Components of a reentry capsule for KREPE, which validates numerical models for Thermal Protection Systems (TPSs) that protect vehicles and their contents during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Three of these capsules depart the space station in a Cygnus resupply spacecraft, deploy when Cygnus re-enters the atmosphere, and collect and transmit thermal data from various sensors."
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Cygnus departure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXj-dvR08_E
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https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1462093013673459726
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Via @Apaiss1 on Twitter - Cygnus NG-16 has also taken with it the STP-H6 payload (which was delivered by CRS-17 in May 2019 and mounted on ELC-3) for a destructive re-entry:
https://twitter.com/Apaiss1/status/1462089437001699341
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ISS configuration after Cygnus departure
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Does anyone have any info on CubeSats that should deploy from a SEOPS Slingshot mechanism before reentry according to sources below?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_NG-16
https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=49064
According to this info PIRPL will be also released before reentry (deorbit on Dec. 15): https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/pirpl.htm
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Cross-post:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/11/20/cygnus-departs-station-ending-cargo-mission/
At 11:01 a.m. EST, flight controllers on the ground sent commands to release the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft from the Canadarm2 robotic arm after earlier detaching Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Pacific Ocean.
...
Cygnus will deorbit on Wednesday, Dec. 15, following a deorbit engine firing to set up a destructive re-entry in which the spacecraft, filled with waste the space station crew packed in the spacecraft, will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
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Cygnus Departs Station Ending Cargo Mission
Mark Garcia Posted on November 20, 2021
At 11:01 a.m. EST, flight controllers on the ground sent commands to release the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft from the Canadarm2 robotic arm after earlier detaching Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Pacific Ocean.
The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the International Space Station more than three months after arriving at the space station to deliver about 8,000 pounds of scientific investigations and supplies to the orbiting laboratory.
After departure, the Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) stowed inside Cygnus will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere, which can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations.
Cygnus will deorbit on Wednesday, Dec. 15, following a deorbit engine firing to set up a destructive re-entry in which the spacecraft, filled with waste the space station crew packed in the spacecraft, will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Cygnus arrived at the space station Aug. 12, following a launch two days prior on Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. It was the company’s 16th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft after NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut.
For departure coverage and more information about the mission, visit: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/. Get space station news, images and features via social media at: @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/11/20/cygnus-departs-station-ending-cargo-mission/
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Although Cygnus has left @Space_Station, its mission isn’t over yet. The spacecraft carries KREPE, which demonstrates an affordable thermal protection system to protect spacecraft and their contents during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1462092144873816071
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The S.S. Ellison Onizuka cargo ship, which departed the ISS yesterday, has raised its orbit to 456 x 464 km. It is expected to deploy some cubesats.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1462560849516765187
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Said goodbye to our Cygnus vehicle over the weekend. We used the @csa_asc robotic arm on @Space_Station to release it. @NASA_Astronauts recycle a lot on-orbit but we rely on the teams at @NASA_Johnson to get us additional supplies when we need them.
https://twitter.com/Astro_Raja/status/1462896126542155777
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The S.S. Ellison Onizuka cargo ship, which departed the ISS yesterday, has raised its orbit to 456 x 464 km. It is expected to deploy some cubesats.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1462560849516765187
Correction: no cubesats. It will release the PIRPL payload, and the KREPE reentry device will operate
during Cygnus breakup
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The Cygnus NG-16 cargo ship, S.S. Ellison Onizuka, departed the ISS on Nov 20 for a solo mission with the PIRPL infrared sensor. Latest TLEs show it still in a 456 x 465 km orbit, but it is expected to be deorbited sometime today, Dec 15.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1470984855374778370
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SCIENCE UPDATE: The KREPE capsules riding aboard the NG-16 Cygnus vehicle have successfully re-entered the atmosphere, separated from the host vehicle, jettisoned their protective shell, and gathered heat shield data which was received by the project team!
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1471558239489830914
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KREPE's goal is to demonstrate an affordable thermal protection system to protect spacecraft and their contents during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Better designs for heat shielding also have potential applications on Earth, such as for fires and volcanic disasters.
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1471558245718401030
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Hmm, if I take the Cygnus NG16 end of life time and naively apply the last TLE and a small deorbit burn (so, assuming no intermediate orbit lowering) I infer NG-16 entry east of Japan rather than in the S Pacific. (But I don't place high confidence on this conclusion)
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1471538877546520576