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NASA’s Latest Resupply Mission to the International Space Station

NASA has successfully launched its Northrop Grumman 21st commercial resupply mission, sending a variety of scientific experiments and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission signifies an important step in ongoing scientific endeavors in low Earth orbit.

The Cygnus spacecraft, operated by Northrop Grumman, took off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:02 a.m. EDT on Sunday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, delivering an impressive 8,200 pounds of supplies destined for the orbiting lab.

However, shortly after liftoff, the spacecraft encountered a minor setback when it missed its initial altitude burn, designated as the targeted altitude burn (TB1). This burn was later rescheduled but had to be aborted after the engine ignited due to a slightly low initial pressure. There are currently no concerns regarding the engine’s health.

Despite this challenge, Cygnus has reached a safe altitude and has successfully deployed its two solar arrays as of 2:21 p.m. Northrop Grumman engineers are currently working on a revised burn and trajectory plan to meet the spacecraft’s original rendezvous timeline with the ISS.

If the mission proceeds as planned, live coverage of Cygnus’s arrival is set to begin at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 6. Viewers can catch the event via NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. There are multiple streaming options available, including social media platforms.

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick is set to capture the Cygnus spacecraft using the station’s robotic arm around 3:10 a.m., with astronaut Jeanette Epps as a backup.

This resupply mission will provide crucial support for various research initiatives being conducted during Expedition 71. Some of the key investigations include:

• Experiments evaluating liquid and gas flow through the porous media utilized in space station life support systems.
• A STEMonstration featuring a balloon, penny, and hexnut to explore centripetal force.
• Research on microorganisms called Rotifers to understand the impact of space flight on DNA repair mechanisms.
• A bioreactor study demonstrating the production of high-quality blood and immune stem cells.

These studies represent just a fraction of the extensive research conducted aboard the ISS in biology, biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Such research not only benefits humanity but also lays the groundwork for future human exploration, particularly under NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts to the Moon and pave the way for missions to Mars.

Details of NASA’s arrival and in-flight events are outlined as follows (all times are in Eastern and subject to real-time operational changes):

Tuesday, August 6

1:30 a.m. – Coverage of arrival begins on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

3:10 a.m. – Expected capture of Cygnus with the space station’s robotic arm.

4:30 a.m. – Coverage of Cygnus installation commences on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

All times provided are estimates and may be adjusted based on mission operations. For ongoing updates, viewers can follow the space station blog.

This mission marks Northrop Grumman’s 21st supply mission to the ISS and the 10th mission conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract with NASA.

After completing its duties, Cygnus is expected to remain with the ISS until January, at which point it will depart while carrying several thousand pounds of trash. The spacecraft, named the S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, in honor of the former NASA astronaut, will safely burn up upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

For more detailed information about NASA’s commercial resupply mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-northrop-grumman-crs-21/

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Source
www.nasa.gov