Cygnus NG-16

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Cygnus NG-16
Antares NG-16 launch WFF-2021-055-014 (51372303240).jpg
A Northrop Grumman Antares 230 launch vehicle with Cygnus NG-16 spacecraft onboard
NamesCygnus OA-16 (2016–2018)
Mission type ISS resupply
Operator Northrop Grumman / NASA
COSPAR ID 2021-072A
SATCAT no. 49064
Website Cygnus NG-16
Mission duration127 days
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftS.S. Ellison Onizuka
Spacecraft type Enhanced Cygnus
Manufacturer
Launch mass8,041 kg (17,727 lb)
Payload mass3,723 kg (8,208 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date10 August 2021, 22:01:05 UTC [1]
Rocket Antares 230+
Launch site Wallops Islands, Pad 0A
ContractorNorthrop Grumman
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay date15 December 2021, 06:25 UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Low Earth orbit
Inclination 51.66°
Berthing at International Space Station
Berthing port Unity nadir
RMS capture12 August 2021, 10:07 UTC
Berthing date12 August 2021, 13:42 UTC
Unberthing date20 November 2021, 13:40 UTC
RMS release20 November 2021, 16:01 UTC
Time berthed100 days
Cargo
Mass3,723 kg (8,208 lb)
Cygnus NG-16 Patch.png
NASA Cygnus NG-16 mission patch  

Cygnus NG-16, [2] [3] previously known as Cygnus OA-16, was the sixteenth 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 was launched on 10 August 2021 at 22:01:05 UTC, for a (planned) 90-day mission at the ISS. [1] [4] This was the fifth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract. [5] [6]

Contents

Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems) and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, Orbital ATK designed, acquired, built, and assembled these components: Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced spacecraft using a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) provided by industrial partner Thales Alenia Space and a Service Module based on the Orbital GEOStar satellite bus. [7]

History

Cygnus NG-16 was the fifth Cygnus mission under the Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract. Production and integration of Cygnus spacecraft are performed in Dulles, Virginia. The Cygnus service module is mated with the pressurized cargo module at the launch site, and mission operations are conducted from control centers in Dulles, Virginia and Houston, Texas. [7]

Spacecraft

This was the eleventh flight of the Enhanced-sized Cygnus PCM. [8] [6] Northrop Grumman named this spacecraft after Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut. [2]

Manifest

The Cygnus spacecraft was loaded with 3,723 kg (8,208 lb) of research, hardware, and crew supplies. [1] [9]

The SEOPS Slingshot Deployment System delivered CubeSats to a 500 km (310 mi) orbit, following un-berthing from the ISS in late 2021. [10]

The 4-Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber, a next-generation air filtration unit developed and built by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, was aboard Cygnus NG-16. [11]

Research

NASA Glenn Research Center : [12]

University of Kentucky : [13]

Space Development Agency :

Undocking and departure

At 16:01 UTC on 20 November 2021, flight controllers on the ground sent commands to release the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft from the Canadarm2 robotic arm after earlier detaching Cygnus NG-16 from the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 420 km (260 mi) 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 3,400 kg (7,500 lb) of scientific investigations and supplies to the orbiting laboratory. After departure, the Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) stowed inside Cygnus took 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 deorbited on 15 December 2021, 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, burns up in the atmosphere of Earth. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

Antares (rocket) Launch vehicle produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation from the United States

Antares, known during early development as Taurus II, is an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau to launch the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's COTS and CRS programs. Able to launch payloads heavier than 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) into low Earth orbit, Antares is currently the largest rocket operated by Northrop Grumman. Antares launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and made its inaugural flight on April 21, 2013.

Cygnus (spacecraft) Uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences

The Cygnus spacecraft is an expendable American cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and now manufactured and launched by Northrop Grumman Space Systems as part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. It is launched by Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket or ULA's Atlas V and is designed to transport supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the American Space Shuttle. Since August 2000, ISS resupply missions have been regularly flown by the Russian Progress spacecraft, as well as by the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, and the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle. With the Cygnus spacecraft and the SpaceX Dragon, NASA seeks to increase its partnerships with domestic commercial aviation and aeronautics industry.

Commercial Resupply Services Series of contracts awarded by NASA from 2008-present for delivery of cargo and supplies to the ISS

Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) are a series of flights awarded by NASA for the delivery of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) on commercially operated spacecraft. The first CRS contracts were signed in 2008 and awarded $1.6 billion to SpaceX for twelve cargo Dragon and $1.9 billion to Orbital Sciences for eight Cygnus flights, covering deliveries to 2016. The Falcon 9 and Antares rockets were also developed under the CRS program to deliver cargo spacecraft to the ISS.

Cygnus Orb-1 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

Orbital-1, also known as Orb-1, was the second flight of the Orbital Sciences Cygnus cargo spacecraft, its second flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and the third launch of the company's Antares launch vehicle. The mission launched on 9 January 2014 at 18:07:05 UTC.

Cygnus OA-4 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

OA-4, previously known as Orbital-4, was the fourth successful flight of the Orbital ATK uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its third flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. With the Antares launch vehicle undergoing a redesign following its failure during the Orb-3 launch, OA-4 was launched by an Atlas V launch vehicle. Following three launch delays due to inclement weather beginning on 3 December 2015, OA-4 was launched at 21:44:57 UTC on 6 December 2015. With a liftoff weight of 7,492 kg (16,517 lb), OA-4 became the heaviest payload ever launched on an Atlas V. The spacecraft rendezvoused with and was berthed to the ISS on 9 December 2015. It was released on 19 February 2016 after 72 days at the International Space Station. Deorbit occurred on 20 February 2016 at approximately 16:00 UTC.

Cygnus OA-5 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

OA-5, previously known as Orbital-5, was the seventh planned flight of the Orbital Sciences' uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its sixth flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The mission launched on 17 October 2016 at 23:45:36 UTC. Orbital Sciences and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) program, Orbital designed and built Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced maneuvering spacecraft; and a Pressurized Cargo Module which is provided by Orbital's industrial partner Thales Alenia Space.

Cygnus OA-6 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

OA-6, previously known as Orbital-6, is the sixth flight of the Orbital ATK uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its fifth flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 23 March 2016 at 03:05:52 UTC.

Cygnus OA-7 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

OA-7, previously known as Orbital-7, is the eighth flight of the Orbital ATK uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its seventh flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The mission launched on 18 April 2017 at 15:11:26 UTC. Orbital and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, then Orbital Sciences designed and built Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced maneuvering spacecraft, and a Pressurized Cargo Module which is provided by Orbital's industrial partner Thales Alenia Space.

Cygnus OA-8E International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

OA-8E was the ninth flight of the Orbital ATK uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its eighth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 12 November 2017 at 12:19:51 UTC. Orbital and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) program, then Orbital Sciences designed and built Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced maneuvering spacecraft, and a Pressurized Cargo Module which is provided by Orbital's industrial partner Thales Alenia Space.

Cygnus OA-9E International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

OA-9E was the tenth flight of the Orbital ATK uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its ninth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services with NASA. The mission launched on 21 May 2018 at 08:44:06 UTC. Orbital ATK and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station. Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, then Orbital Sciences designed and built Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced maneuvering spacecraft, and a Pressurized Cargo Module which is provided by Orbital's industrial partner Thales Alenia Space.

Cygnus NG-10 Cygnus International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

NG-10, previously known as OA-10E, is the eleventh flight of the Northrop Grumman uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its tenth flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 17 November 2018, at 09:01:31 UTC. This particular mission is part of an extension of the initial CRS contract that enables NASA to cover the ISS resupply needs until the Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract enters in effect.

Cygnus NG-11 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

NG-11, previously known as OA-11, is the twelfth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its eleventh flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 17 April 2019 at 20:46:07 UTC. This is the last mission from the extended CRS-1 contract; follow-up missions are part of the CRS-2 contract. Cygnus NG-11 was also the first mission to load critical hardware onto Cygnus within the last 24 hours prior to launch, a new Antares feature.

Cygnus NG-12 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

NG-12, previously known as OA-12, was the thirteenth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its twelfth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 2 November 2019 at 13:59:47 UTC). This was the first launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

Cygnus NG-13 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

NG-13, previously known as OA-13, was the fourteenth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its thirteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 15 February 2020 at 20:21:01 UTC after nearly a week of delays. This is the second launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

Cygnus NG-14 International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

NG-14, previously known as OA-14, was the fifteenth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its fourteenth flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. The mission was launched on 3 October 2020, at 01:16:14 UTC.

Cygnus NG-15 American International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission

NG-15, previously known as OA-15, was the fifteenth launch of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its fourteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 20 February 2021 at 17:36:50 UTC. This is the fourth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

Cygnus NG-17 Uncrewed resupply spacecraft

Cygnus NG-17, previously known as Cygnus OA-17, is the seventeenth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its sixteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 19 February 2022. It is the sixth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

Cygnus NG-18 Uncrewed resupply spacecraft

NG-18 is the eighteenth planned flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its sixteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract with NASA. The mission is planned for launch in August 2022. This is the seventh launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

Cygnus NG-19 Uncrewed resupply spacecraft

NG-19 is the nineteenth planned flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its sixteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract with NASA. The mission is scheduled to launch in April 2023. This is the eighth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Clark, Stephen (10 August 2021). "Northrop Grumman launches commercial resupply mission to space station". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 "NASA Commercial Resupply Mission NG-16". Northrop Grumman. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Clark, Stephen (9 August 2021). "Antares rocket ready for launch on space station resupply mission". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman's August Launch from Virginia" (Press release). NASA. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. ↑ Gebhardt, Chris (1 June 2018). "Orbital ATK looks ahead to CRS-2 Cygnus flights, Antares on the commercial market". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 Clark, Stephen (1 October 2020). "Northrop Grumman "optimistic" to receive more NASA cargo mission orders". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Cygnus Spacecraft". Northrop Grumman. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  8. ↑ Leone, Dan (17 August 2015). "NASA Orders Two More ISS Cargo Missions From Orbital ATK". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Overview for Northrop Grumman's 16th Commercial Resupply Mission". NASA. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  10. ↑ "Slingshot Deployment Process". seopsllc.com. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Marshall Ships Next-Generation Air Filtration Hardware to Wallops for Flight to International Space Station". NASA. 10 June 2021.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  12. ↑ "ISS Research Program". Glenn Research Center. NASA. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  13. ↑ "Technology demonstration of the KRUPS capsule for heat-shield validation". University of Kentucky. NASA. August 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2021.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  14. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (9 August 2021). "DoD experiment flying to International Space Station to collect data for missile-tracking sensors". SpaceNews. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Cygnus cargo freighter ends mission at International Space Station". Spaceflight Now. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  16. ↑ "Cygnus Departs Station Ending Cargo Mission". NASA. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
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