NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX have announced their plans to launch the 20th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 12:07 p.m. EST, pending launch readiness.
The mission will consist of the Cygnus cargo spacecraft, which will be carried aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch will occur at the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Cygnus spacecraft will be loaded with more than 8,200 pounds of supplies for the space station.
The spacecraft is expected to reach the ISS on Thursday, Feb. 1. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will be responsible for capturing the Cygnus spacecraft using the station’s robotic arm, with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara as the backup. Once captured, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.
The Cygnus spacecraft, named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson after a former NASA astronaut, is scheduled to remain at the space station until May. At that point, it will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up.
NASA will provide live launch coverage starting at 11:50 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The launch coverage can be watched on NASA TV or streamed through various platforms. Additionally, NASA will hold prelaunch events beginning on Friday, Jan. 26.
In conjunction with the mission, the International Space Station National Lab will host a science webinar on Friday, Jan. 26, featuring various participants discussing space station research. Furthermore, there will be a prelaunch media teleconference on the same day, with representatives from NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX.
Members of the public can register to attend the launch virtually and receive updates and resources related to the mission. For those not able to join virtually, the launch can also be followed on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging NASA, NASAKennedy, Space_Station, and ISSResearch.
The 20th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services mission represents another significant step in the ongoing collaboration between NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX in supporting the scientific research and supply needs of the International Space Station.
“Travel aficionado. Incurable bacon specialist. Tv evangelist. Wannabe internet enthusiast. Typical creator.”