Today’s launch attempt of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore has been postponed. The launch was scrubbed due to a fire alarm at Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft control center in Dulles, Virginia. “Scrubbing” is NASA’s term for when the team managing the rocket launch calls off the attempted launch on a specific day.
The Cygnus spacecraft and Antares rocket remain healthy at the Wallops launch site.
The next launch attempt will be on Monday, November 7, in a five-minute window that opens at 5:27 a.m. EST (2:27 a.m. PST). Weather for that window is currently forecast as 70% favorable: High pressure looks to continue to provide tranquil weather to the Mid-Atlantic before breezy conditions impact the Wallops area Tuesday. Live coverage will begin on NASA TV and nasa.gov/live at 5 a.m. EST (2 a.m. PST).
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’s Pad 0A on Wallops Island. This Cygnus spacecraft is named S.S. Sally Ride, in honor of the first American woman in space.
The 18th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services mission for NASA to the International Space Station (ISS) carries scientific investigations of topics such as plant mutations and mudflow structure along with a demonstration of camera technology and small satellites from Japan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The Cygnus spacecraft carrying these investigations to the orbiting laboratory is now scheduled for liftoff on November 7 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.
Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.