Cygnus Soars: Installation Complete and Cargo Ops Initiated on Space Station

Northrop Grummans’s Cygnus space freighter, with its prominent cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays, is pictured approaching the International Space Station on February 21, 2022, carrying 8,300 pounds of new science experiments, crew supplies, and station hardware to replenish the Expedition 66 crew. Credit: NASA

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, now installed at the ISS, carries significant cargo and paves the way for innovative scientific research. This marks the company’s 19th resupply mission for NASA.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft installation at the International Space Station is now complete. Cygnus, carrying over 8,200 pounds of cargo and science experiments, launched atop the company’s Antares rocket at 8:31 p.m. EDT Tuesday, August 1, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At 5:52 a.m., NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, along with NASA astronaut Frank Rubio as backup, captured Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm.

NASA Astronauts About to Capture Cygnus Cargo Craft

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments before being captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm by NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg. Credit: NASA TV

Highlights of space station research facilitated by delivery aboard this Cygnus are:

The final iteration of a series of spacecraft fire protection experiments
A new potable water dispenser that provides hot water and improved sanitization
Neural cells that will be cultured into 3D cell models for gene therapy testing
A probe that measures plasma density of the upper atmosphere
A memory card that contains creative works from students around the world

NASA Astronauts Capture Cygnus Cargo Craft

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm following its capture as both spacecraft orbited above Africa. Credit: NASA TV

This is Northrop Grumman’s 19th commercial resupply mission to the space station for NASA. Northrop Grumman named the Cygnus spacecraft the S.S. Laurel Clark in honor of the late NASA astronaut, undersea medical officer, and naval flight officer, Laurel Clark.

Cygnus Cargo Craft Guided to Installation Point

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is guided to its installation point on the space station’s Unity module by the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Credit: NASA TV

Cygnus will remain at the space station until October before it departs for a destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.