Cygnus NG-21

Last updated

NG-21
CRS NG-21 Approach.jpg
S.S. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee (NG-21) spacecraft approaches the ISS
NamesCRS NG-21
Mission type ISS resupply
Operator Northrop Grumman
COSPAR ID 2024-139A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 60378 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Mission duration5 months (planned)
32 days, 5 hours and 18 minutes (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftS.S. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee
Spacecraft type Enhanced Cygnus
Manufacturer
Start of mission
Launch date4 August 2024, 15:02:53 (4 August 2024, 15:02:53)  UTC (11:02:53 am  EDT)
Rocket Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1080.10)
Launch site Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40
Contractor SpaceX
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay dateJanuary 2025 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Low Earth orbit
Inclination 51.66°
Berthing at ISS
Berthing port Unity nadir
RMS capture6 August 2024, 07:11 UTC
Berthing date6 August 2024, 09:33 UTC
Unberthing dateJanuary 2025 (planned)
RMS releaseJanuary 2025 (planned)
Time berthed30 days, 10 hours and 47 minutes (in progress)
Cargo
Mass3,857 kg (8,503 lb)
Pressurised3,843 kg (8,472 lb)
Unpressurised14 kg (31 lb)
Cygnus NG-21 Patch.png
Mission patch

NG-21 is the twenty-first flight of the Cygnus, an expendable American cargo spacecraft used for International Space Station (ISS) logistics missions, that launched on 4 August 2024. It is operated by Northrop Grumman under a Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The spacecraft is an Enhanced Cygnus, named the S.S. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee in honor of the NASA astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

Contents

NG-21 is the second launch of a Cygnus spacecraft after Northrop Grumman exhausted the supply of its Antares 230+ rocket. The Antares used a Russian-built engine and Ukrainian-built first stage, and production ceased after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Northrop Grumman expects its next-generation Antares 300 rocket that does not depend on Ukrainian or Russian parts to be ready to fly NG-23. As an interim solution, Northrop Grumman contracted with its CRS competitor SpaceX to launch NG-20, 21 and 22 using its Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.

History

Cygnus was developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, partially funded by NASA under the agency's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. To create Cygnus, Orbital paired the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, built by Thales Alenia Space and previously used by the Space Shuttle for ISS logistics, with a service module based on Orbital's GEOStar, a satellite bus. The larger Enhanced Cygnus was introduced in 2015. Orbital Sciences was renamed Orbital ATK in 2015 and Northrop Grumman purchased Orbital in 2018 and has continued to operate Cygnus missions.

Cygnus NG-21 is the tenth 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. [1]

The NG-21 spacecraft was named the S.S. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee in honor of the NASA astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. [2] This is the sixteenth flight of the Enhanced-sized Cygnus PCM. [3] [4]

Manifest

The pressurized cargo module is lifted and moved by a crane inside the Space Systems Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 1 June 2024. NG-21 PCM Lift to Work Stand, SSPF (KSC-20240601-PH-GEB01 0591).jpg
The pressurized cargo module is lifted and moved by a crane inside the Space Systems Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 1 June 2024.

The Cygnus spacecraft will be loaded with a total of 3,857 kilograms (8,503 lb) of cargo and supplies before its launch, including 3,843 kilograms (8,472 lb) of pressurised and 14 kilograms (31 lb) of unpressurised cargo.

The cargo manifest is broken down as follows: [5]

A repair kit for the NICER telescope will be delivered to the station on this mission. [6]

Due to issues with Boeing Crew Flight Test, the manifest was changed to transfer additional crew supplies to the ISS for the additional astronauts (six US astronauts rather than the expected four). [7]

Research

S.S. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee (NG-21) spacecraft is seen being encapsulated inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing as it prepares to launch NG-21 Encapsulation.jpg
S.S. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee (NG-21) spacecraft is seen being encapsulated inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing as it prepares to launch

Several scientific investigations were sent to the ISS aboard the Cygnus. These are four of the projects highlighted by NASA:

Packed systems

"Packed Bed Reactor Experiment: Water Recovery Series" will evaluate gravity's effects on eight test articles. Packed bed reactors are systems that use materials such as pellets or beads packed inside a structure to increase contact between different phases of fluids, such as liquid and gas. These reactors are used for various applications, including water recovery, thermal management, and fuel cells. Scientists previously tested the performance in space of glass beads, Teflon beads, a platinum catalyst, and other packing materials. Results could help optimize the design and operation of packed bed reactors for water filtration and other systems in microgravity and on the Moon and Mars. Insights from the investigation also could lead to improvements in this technology for applications on Earth such as water purification and heating and cooling systems. [8]

Education

"STEMonstrations Screaming Balloon" is an educational demonstration using a balloon, a penny, and a hexagonal nut (the kind used to secure a bolt). The penny and the nut are whirled separately inside an inflated balloon to compare their sounds. NASA's STEMonstration program are educational lessons illustrating a different scientific concept performed and recorded by astronauts on the space station and include resources to help teachers further explore the topics with their students. [8]

Stem cells

"In-Space Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Clinical Application" (InSPA-StemCellEX-H1) continues testing a technology to produce human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in space. HSCs give rise to blood and immune cells and are used in therapies for patients with certain blood diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancers.

The investigation uses a system called BioServe In-space Cell Expansion Platform (BICEP), which is designed to expand HSCs three hundredfold without the need to change or add new growth media. BICEP affords a streamlined operation to harvest and cryopreserve cells for return to Earth and delivery to a designated medical provider and patient.

This investigation demonstrates whether expanding stem cells in microgravity could generate far more continuously renewing stem cells. This work eventually could lead to large-scale production facilities, with donor cells launched into orbit and cellular therapies returned to Earth. The biotechnology investigation also seeks to improve therapies for blood diseases and cancers such as leukemia. [8]

DNA repair in space

"Rotifer-B2", an ESA (European Space Agency) investigation, explores how spaceflight affects DNA repair mechanisms in a microscopic bdelloid rotifer, Adineta vaga. These tiny but complex organisms are known for their ability to withstand harsh conditions, including radiation doses 100 times higher than human cells can survive. The organisms are dried, exposed to high radiation levels on Earth, and rehydrated and cultured in an incubator on the station.

Previous research indicates that rotifers repair their DNA in space with the same efficiency as on Earth, but that research provided only genetic data. This experiment will provide the first visual proof of survival and reproduction during spaceflight. Results could provide insights into how spaceflight affects the rotifer's ability to repair sections of damaged DNA in a microgravity environment and could improve the general understanding of DNA damage and repair mechanisms for applications on Earth. This mission also delivers plants for the APEX-09 investigation, which examines plant responses to stressful environments and could inform the design of bio-regenerative support systems on future space missions. [8]

Mission

Falcon 9 lifts off carrying NG-21 to the ISS NG-21 liftoff 03.jpg
Falcon 9 lifts off carrying NG-21 to the ISS

While most Cygnus missions have been launched atop Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, NG-21 was the second of three missions planned to launch atop the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Northrop Grumman exhausted the supply of its Antares 230+ rocket after the NG-19 mission. The Antares used a Russian-built engine and Ukrainian-built first stage, and production ceased after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Northrop Grumman expects its next-generation Antares 300 rocket that does not depend on Ukrainian or Russian parts to be ready to fly NG-23 in August 2025. As an interim solution, Northrop Grumman contracted with its CRS competitor SpaceX to launch NG-20, 21 and 22 using its Falcon 9 rocket.

To accommodate the Cygnus, SpaceX modified their payload fairing to add a 5 ft × 4 ft (1.5 m × 1.2 m) side hatch to load late cargo onto the spacecraft from the cleanroom located at the end of the crew access arm installed at Space Launch Complex 40. [9] The mission used Falcon 9 first-stage booster #1080 on its tenth mission.

The rocket was first scheduled to lift off on 3 August 2024 at 15:28:00  UTC (11:29 am  EDT, local time at the launch site) but was scrubbed due to poor weather conditions. The launch was rescheduled and successfully lifted off on 4 August 2024 at 15:02:23 UTC (11:02 am EDT). The first stage successfully touched down at Landing Zone 1 at the end of its flight.

After Cygnus separated from the Falcon's second stage, the spacecraft missed its first scheduled burn at 15:44 UTC due to a late entry to burn sequencing. The burn was rescheduled for 16:34 UTC, but was aborted when engine sensors registered low initial pressure. The Cygnus deployed its two solar arrays at 18:21 UTC as Northrop Grumman engineers investigated the issues. [10] The pressure reading was determined to be acceptable, and the Northrop Grumman was able to command the Cygnus to make two burns to put it on a trajectory to meet the station at the previously scheduled time. [11]

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured Cygnus using the station's robotic arm on 6 August 2024 at 07:11 UTC [12] and the spacecraft was berthed to the Unity module's nadir (Earth-facing) port at about 09:33 UTC. [13]

NG-21 firing its engine to reboost the ISS Cygnus NG-21 ISS reboost.jpg
NG-21 firing its engine to reboost the ISS

On 22 August, the Cygnus engine was fired for over 19 minutes to raise the orbital altitude of the ISS to 418.4 by 415.0 kilometres (260 by 257.9 mi). These periodic "reboosts" counteract atmospheric drag on the station. [14] The Cygnus has been available to do reboosts on an as-needed basis since the NG-17 mission, [15] after being successfully demonstrated on flight OA-9E. Russia's Progress cargo spacecraft also regularly perform reboosts during missions to the ISS. [16]

Launch attempt summary

Note: Times are local to the launch site (Eastern Daylight Time).

AttemptPlannedResultTurnaroundReasonDecision pointWeather go (%)Notes
13 Aug 2024, 11:29:00 amScrubbed—Weather ​(T−01:00:43)50 [17]
24 Aug 2024, 11:02:53 amSuccess0 days 23 hours 34 minutes35 [18] Weather initially forecasted at 10%. [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antares (rocket)</span> Medium-lift expendable rocket by Northrop Grumman

Antares, known during early development as Taurus II, is an American expendable medium-lift launch vehicle developed and built by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financial support from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program awarded in February 2008, alongside the company's automated cargo spacecraft, Cygnus. Like other launch vehicles developed by Orbital, Antares leveraged lower-cost, off-the-shelf parts and designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus (spacecraft)</span> Uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences

Cygnus is an expendable American automated cargo spacecraft designed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions. Initially developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financial support from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. To create Cygnus, Orbital paired a pressurized cargo module, largely based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, built by Thales Alenia Space and previously used by the Space Shuttle for ISS resupply, with a service module based on Orbital's GEOStar, a satellite bus. After a successful demonstration flight in 2013, Orbital was chosen to receive a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. A larger Enhanced Cygnus was introduced in 2015. Orbital Sciences was renamed Orbital ATK in 2015 and Northrop Grumman purchased Orbital in 2018 and has continued to operate Cygnus missions. A further enlarged Mission B Cygnus is expected to be introduced in 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial Resupply Services</span> NASA program for delivery of cargo 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus Orb-1</span> Early 2014 cargo mission to the ISS

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus Orb-2</span> Mid-2014 cargo mission to the ISS

Orbital-2, also known as Orb-2, was the third flight of the Orbital Sciences' uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus, its third flight to the International Space Station, and the fourth launch of the company's Antares launch vehicle. The mission launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on 13 July 2014 at 16:52:14 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus OA-6</span> Early 2016 cargo mission to the ISS

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus OA-8E</span> Late 2017 cargo mission to the ISS

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus OA-9E</span> Mid-2018 cargo mission to the ISS

OA-9E was the tenth flight of the Cygnus, an uncrewed resupply spacecraft. The flight was launched by Orbital ATK (OA), which was purchased by Northrop Grumman during the mission. It was the ninth flight under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA and conducted under an extension, leading to the "E" in the mission name. The mission launched on 21 May 2018 at 08:44:06 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-10</span> Late 2018 cargo mission to the ISS

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-11</span> Mid-2019 cargo mission to the ISS

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-12</span> 2019 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-13</span> 2020 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-14</span> 2020 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-15</span> 2021 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

Cygnus 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-16</span> 2021 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

NG-16, previously known as 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. This was the fifth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-17</span> 2022 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

NG-17, previously known as OA-17, was 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) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 19 February 2022 at 17:40:03 UTC. It was the sixth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-18</span> 2022 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

NG-18 was the eighteenth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its seventeenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract with NASA. The mission successfully launched on 7 November 2022 at 10:32:42 UTC. This was the seventh launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-19</span> Late 2023 cargo spacecraft mission to ISS

NG-19 was the nineteenth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its eighteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 2 August 2023 at 00:31:14 UTC. This was the eighth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-20</span> Early 2024 cargo spacecraft mission to ISS

NG-20 was the twentieth flight of the Cygnus, an expendable American cargo spacecraft used for International Space Station (ISS) logistics missions that launched on 30 January 2024 and was deorbited on 13 July 2024. It was operated by Northrop Grumman under a Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The spacecraft was an Enhanced Cygnus, named the S.S. Patricia "Patty" Hilliard Robertson in honor of the NASA astronaut who died in a plane crash prior to being assigned to a crew to fly to the ISS.

References

  1. ↑ "Cygnus Spacecraft". Northrop Grumman. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "Northrop Grumman names Cygnus cargo craft for fallen Challenger commander". collectSPACE.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  3. ↑ Clark, Stephen (1 October 2020). "Northrop Grumman "optimistic" to receive more NASA cargo mission orders". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  4. ↑ Leone, Dan (17 August 2015). "NASA Orders Two More ISS Cargo Missions From Orbital ATK". SpaceNews . Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Overview for NASA's Northrop Grumman 21st Commercial Resupply Mission". NASA. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  6. ↑ Kazmierczak, Jeanette (30 July 2024). "Repair Kit for NASA's NICER Mission Heading to Space Station". NASA . Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  7. ↑ Weigel, Dana (24 August 2024). NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Status News Conference. NASA. Event occurs at 1:18:04. Retrieved 25 August 2024– via YouTube.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Gaskill, Melissa L. (23 July 2024). "NASA's 21st Northrop Grumman Mission Launches Scientific Studies to Station". NASA . Retrieved 5 August 2024.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  9. ↑ NASA, Northrop Grumman 20th Commercial Resupply Services Mission Prelaunch Media Teleconference. NASA. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024– via YouTube.
  10. ↑ Plucinsky, Stephanie (5 August 2024). "NASA's Northrop Grumman Cygnus Completes Solar Arrays Deployment". NASA . Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  11. ↑ Plucinsky, Stephanie (5 August 2024). "NASA's Northrop Grumman Cygnus Continues to Space Station". NASA . Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Graf, Abby (6 August 2024). "NASA Astronauts Capture Cygnus With Robotic Arm; Installation Soon". NASA . Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  13. ↑ Graf, Abby (6 August 2024). "Cygnus Spacecraft Installed to Space Station; Cargo Ops Underway". NASA . Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ↑ Garcia, Mark (22 August 2024). "Light Duty Day Still Sees Space Science and Orbital Reboost". NASA . Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  15. ↑ "CRS NG-21". Supercluster. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  16. ↑ Bergin, Chris (15 July 2018). "Cygnus departs ISS following reboost test". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  17. ↑ "Falcon 9 Cygnus NG-21 Forecast" (PDF). 45th Weather Squadron . 2 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  18. ↑ @SpaceX (4 August 2024). "One hour until Falcon 9 launches @northropgrumman's Cygnus spacecraft to the @space_station. Teams continue to monitor weather, which is now 35% favorable for liftoff" (Tweet). Retrieved 6 August 2024– via Twitter.
  19. ↑ "Falcon 9 Cygnus NG-21 Forecast" (PDF). 45th Weather Squadron . 3 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
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