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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31159.jpg)NASA Wallops‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) 7 февр. (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1093657164642684929)

Get ready, @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station), we're about to send some cargo your way! (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)@NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)'s CRS-11 mission is scheduled to launch from Wallops on April 17, 2019 at 4:46 p.m. EDT.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174428.jpg)

Цитировать(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p112x112/11695375_10153045717230975_9082771021416407514_n.jpg?_nc_cat=1&_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.xx&oh=7b72287ce5fcf2e3c44128de1e729a73&oe=5CE856FA) (https://www.facebook.com/NorthropGrumman/?ref=nf&hc_ref=ARRSGwMJaxuWUszBMTnIuzCevYdhuoUtCBMzI0GGhH-M_bhIVxrA0G3RFFVB5v-eatw&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=%3C-R) Northrop Grumman Corporation (https://www.facebook.com/NorthropGrumman/?hc_ref=ARQwp0LxbxGtAoWnrjh6tQRQdK6Xe-evJrlFQHeYagB-9TJUCOCMabNKDpwY2PKPtC4&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=kC-R) добавил(-а) 2 новых фото (https://www.facebook.com/NorthropGrumman/posts/10156122410470975?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=-UC-R).
Вчера в 12:30 (https://www.facebook.com/NorthropGrumman/posts/10156122410470975?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=-R) ·   (https://www.facebook.com/90319605974/posts/10156122410470975#)

Earlier today, employees at our Dulles, Virginia, facility said goodbye to the NG-11 #Cygnus (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/cygnus?source=feed_text&epa=HASHTAG&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=%2ANK-R) service module as it departed for its launch site at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.facebook.com/NASAWFF/?fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=K-R), its final stop before heading to the International Space Station (https://www.facebook.com/ISS/?ref=py_c&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=K-R). The spacecraft is targeted to launch aboard a #NorthropGrumman (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/northropgrumman?source=feed_text&epa=HASHTAG&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=%2ANK-R) #Antares (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/antares?source=feed_text&epa=HASHTAG&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDW08XaT8z-mgZ3IDNE-EQsWefvAQGNgU-TRBzWPpQPecJd0NyS-i2NI6nMuqA5_scqAXHHZ6c_IA2m4sXZ6JM8NTUg5PIW864_OLlmgokXBOz8ObXaXAuTSX9EctdlJQfWy6YBJfACZUKBt0P_yg_NcqFIhlfUtQqPeN2BkAiVJLXAWj7nG8EE74_it5leyafKe4Y0Dod79fgZM2-WnAuj4H1kcy37_yvBiXDkUoSm6JSEtMA7O_JK7dM0lDsB23Ne4rG-GM5quinpN-Kw_Fhkw1dC9kkct9FTEpEzSchoeuahMPUun0mTpzX5o2Mw_NBLVijvpqBwVwRMpA&__tn__=%2ANK-R) rocket on April 17 at 4:46 p.m. EDT. The NG-11 mission will feature a long-duration flight of up to one year after its departure from the station. This added capability supports additional commercial activity for Cygnus enabled by partnerships with the International Space Station. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks!

(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s526x296/52100140_10156122410370975_486921035053006848_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.xx&oh=bfd1bd0532ebe8382f772fa104e36846&oe=5CF5F373) (https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/51209008_10156122410375975_7464379210253991936_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.xx&oh=46172e29967615795d60ea6ee6817cf3&oe=5CE6CDB5) (https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p526x296/51107098_10156122410440975_8658421474782085120_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.xx&oh=fdfd442694cd771b2477b982c7955367&oe=5CF45AB1) (https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/51107098_10156122410440975_8658421474782085120_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.xx&oh=6f08192fd533ac0926bce73a29f552c2&oe=5CEB3D5E)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31159.jpg)NASA Wallops‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) 23 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1093679854241878017)

The @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) team said goodbye, and we said hello to #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)! The cargo spacecraft arrived this afternoon from Dulles, Virginia, and was promptly tucked inside safe and sound! Tomorrow, the unboxing begins (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125331.png)

https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/Dy2FcprXcAEgwG8.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/Dy2FcprXcAEgwG8.mp4)

ЦитироватьNext Northrop Grumman Cygnus Launch Set for April 17

Sarah Loff (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/author/sloff/)
Posted Mar 7, 2019 at 10:51 am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130976.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/03/45195410704_22abeab394_k.jpg)
The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft onboard, launches from Pad-0A, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman's 10th contracted cargo resupply mission for NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,400 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Media accreditation is open (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-northrop-grumman-cygnus-launch-from-virginia) for the launch of Northrop Grumman's next delivery of NASA science investigations, supplies and equipment to the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/station) on April 17.

Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html)'s Cygnus spacecraft is targeted to launch on the company's Antares rocket at 4:46 p.m. EDT from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS (http://www.vaspace.org/)) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia.

On this mission, Northrop Grumman will use a new late load capability. Previously, all cargo had to be loaded about four days prior to launch. This new capability will allow time-sensitive science experiments to be loaded into Cygnus just 24 hours before liftoff.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186352.jpg)OrbitalMicroSystems‏ @Orbital_Micro (https://twitter.com/Orbital_Micro) 6 мар. (https://twitter.com/Orbital_Micro/status/1103299659324379137)


@Orbital_Micro (https://twitter.com/Orbital_Micro) GEMS weather observation #cubesat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/cubesat?src=hash) ready for launch April 17 Satnews Publishers: http://www.satnews.com/story.php?number=225869549#.XH_V7xHgIKc.twitter ... (https://t.co/1noiUzzc68) Great teamwork!

Цитироватьhttp://iss.jaxa.jp/en/kuoa/news/1802_spooqy-1.html
The CubeSats for SpooQy-1 handed over to JAXA. Launch preparation is going well!
Last Updated: March 8, 2019
On February 18, 2019, one CubeSat (size is 3U) was designed and developed in Singapore by students of the National University of Singapore as SpooQy-1 was handed over to JAXA at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC). Loading preparations were started for their on-orbit deployment slated for next May or June. The purpose of SpooQy-1 is to continue the orbit demonstration experiment by installing the source of the polarized photon entangled photon pair on the satellite for the future satellite communication technology innovation.

The CubeSat was handed over this time based on the contract to deploy small satellites from "Kibo". It was done between JAXA and 'Singapore Space and Technology Association' (SSTA). The SpooQy-1 and BIRDS-3 were handed over to JAXA on the same day and are scheduled to be launched aboard the Cygnus 11 Spacecraft from Virginia, USA.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/120131.jpg)
SpooQy-1 development members from participating countries and the JAXA team member officials before their J-SSOD and SpooQy-1, February 19, 2019 (Credit: JAXA)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1108718660573712386)

Join us on Facebook this Monday 3/25 at 9:00 am ET for a live look inside our #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) Mission Operations Center in Dulles, VA as we talk about our upcoming cargo resupply mission to the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) scheduled to launch from @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) aboard our #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) rocket on April 17.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160477.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 28 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1110181033348083712)

Northrop Grumman's next Cygnus spacecraft will be named the "S.S. Roger Chaffee", after the Apollo 1 astronaut, the company announced this morning. The NG-11 mission is scheduled for launch April 17.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160447.jpg)

Цитировать26 МАР, 08:44
Грузовой корабль Cygnus назвали в честь погибшего астронавта NASA

Корабль, который отправится 17 апреля к МКС, будет носить имя Роджера Чаффи, который погиб при испытании корабля Apollo 1 27 января 1967 года

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 26 марта. /ТАСС/. Грузовой корабль Cygnus компании Northrop Grumman, который отправится 17 апреля к Международной космической станции (МКС), назван в честь астронавта NASA Роджера Чаффи, погибшего при испытании корабля Apollo 1 27 января 1967 года.

"В этом году отмечается 50-я годовщина со дня высадки на Луну членов экипажа Apollo 11. Вспоминая о той экспедиции, мы вспоминаем и о тысячах тех людей, кто пошел на жертвы во имя успеха этой программы, - указал в заявлении, размещенном в Facebook, вице-президент Northrop Grumman Фрэнк ДеМауро. - Трое из них пожертвовали жизнью во имя того, чтобы человечество достигло Луны. Это Эд Уайт, Вирджил Гриссом и Роджер Чаффи - астронавты, трагически погибшие при наземном испытании корабля Apollo 1.

Старт грузового корабля Roger Chaffee - 11-й по счету полет грузового корабля этого типа к МКС - запланирован на 17 апреля с космодрома на острове Уоллопс (штат Вирджиния) в Атлантическом океане. Корабль будет состыкован с МКС вплоть до июля.

Традиция давать имена космическим кораблям в честь астронавтов существует в Northrop Grumman с 2014 года. Ранее кораблям уже давались имена астронавтов Дэвида Лоу, Дженис Восс, Дика Слейтона, Рика Хасбанда, Алана Пойндекстера, Джона Гленна и Юджина Сернана. Грузовой корабль, состыковавшийся с МКС в ноябре 2018 года, носил имя Джона Янга, совершившего полеты на кораблях Gemini, Apollo и на космических кораблях многоразового использования Space Shuttle.

Предстоящий полет корабля Roger Chaffee станет последним в рамках нынешнего контракта Northrop Grumman с NASA. По новому контракту, который будет выполняться с осени, компания обязана будет доставить на МКС 20 т грузов в ходе шести полетов.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31159.jpg)NASA Wallops‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) 11 ч.11 часов назад (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1110281551735066625)


(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125521.png) Spacecraft coming through! Early Monday morning, the #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) cargo spacecraft traveled to Wallops Island to get fueled up (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125613.png) before launch. Cygnus is on schedule to launch aboard a @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) Antares rocket on April 17.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160469.jpg)

ЦитироватьScientific Investigations Set for Space on NG-11

NASA Johnson (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmheCYT4HlbFi943lpH009Q)

Опубликовано: 9 апр. 2019 г.

A Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft scheduled to liftoff no earlier than April 17 will carry supplies and scientific experiments to the International Space Station. For this mission, Northrop Grumman will use a new late load capability that allows time-sensitive experiments to be loaded just 24 hours before liftoff.

ЦитироватьApril 8, 2019

Northrop Grumman Carries Technology, Scientific Investigations on Mission to Space Station

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208447.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/iss058e011401_0.jpg)
A Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo craft pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm as the International Space Station orbits over the Pacific Ocean.
Credits: NASA

A Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) Cygnus spacecraft scheduled to liftoff on April 17 carries supplies and scientific experiments to the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html). It uses a new late load capability that allows time-sensitive experiments to be loaded just 24 hours before liftoff. Previously, all cargo had to be loaded about four days prior to launch, creating challenges for some types of experiments.

The launch on the company's Antares rocket departs from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. This Cygnus mission is the 11th and final under Northrop's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)-1 contract with NASA; a CRS-2 contract begins with a cargo launch in the fall. Resupply missions from U.S. companies ensure NASA's capability to deliver critical science research to the space station and significantly increase its ability to conduct new investigations in the only laboratory in space.

Here are some of the scientific investigations NG-11 delivers to the space station:

Спойлер

Models for growing increasingly complex materials

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208442.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/iss057e074539.jpg)
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Alexander Gerst with the Advanced Colloids Experiment hardware during a previous ACE experiment.
Credits: NASA

Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7881)) investigates the growth, microscopic dynamics, and restructuring processes in ordered and disordered structures such as colloidal crystals, glasses, and gels.
Colloids provide ideal models for researching the fundamental principles of internal organization in such structures because their particles are small enough to engage in relevant phenomena, yet large enough for detailed study. Colloidal system interactions vary precisely with temperature and undergo a variety of transitions including crystallization and glass formation. Conducting the study in microgravity removes the effects of gravitational stresses.

Better life science research in a few drops

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208386.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/img_1346.jpg)
The Bio-Analyzer, a tool the size of a videogame console, easily tests different body fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine. It helps astronauts accelerate the process of scientific data collection.
Credits: CSA

Bio-Analyzer (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7393), a Canadian Space Agency (CSA (http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/)) instrument, enhances life sciences research capabilities on the space station. It performs on-orbit detection and quantification of cell surface molecules on a per cell basis, including blood cell counts, and assesses soluble molecule concentration in a liquid sample such as blood, saliva, or urine. Part of the Life Science Research System (LSRS), the Bio-Analyzer uses just a few drops of liquid – a finger prick versus a standard blood draw, for example – and eliminates the need for freezing and storing samples.

Analyzing aging of the arteries in astronauts

Recent research suggest links between cardiovascular health risk, carotid artery aging, bone metabolism and blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation. Data also indicate accelerated aging-like changes in many astronauts on the space station, including changes to their arteries. The Space Environment Causes Acceleration of Vascular Aging: Roles of Hypogravity, Nutrition, and Radiation (Vascular Aging (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7644)) looks at these changes using artery ultrasounds, blood samples, oral glucose tolerance tests, and wearable sensors. It is one of three related Canadian experiments (http://asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/vascular.asp)studying the effects of weightlessness on the blood vessels and heart.

Testing immune response in space

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208650.png) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/rr-12-patch.png)
Official patch for Rodent Research-12, Tetanus Antibody Response by B cells in Space (TARBIS). Designed by James Mathew Bushong.
Credits: Loma Linda University

The U.S. National Laboratory (https://www.issnationallab.org/) sel ected 12 investigations for its Rodent Research Reference Mission-1, Applications for Spaceflight Biospecimens (https://www.issnationallab.org/press-releases/casis-announces-request-for-proposals-to-access-spaceflight-biospecimens/). Tetanus Antibody Response by B cells in Space (RR-12 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7868)) examines the effects of spaceflight on the function of antibody production and immune memory. Spaceflight has a dramatic influence on human immune response, but there is little research on how that affects the body's immune system response to an actual challenge. Using a mouse model makes it possible to examine this question since the mouse immune system closely parallels that of humans.

Big buzz for new robot

A small robot takes on big jobs aboard the space station. The free-flying Astrobee (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891) can help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity, give astronauts a hand with routine chores, and provide additional eyes and ears for flight controllers in Houston.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208472.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2019e000689.jpg)
Astrobee development engineers Vinh To and Roberto Carlino conduct acoustics testing on the Astrobee Free Flyers and Docking Station before its flight to the space station on NG-11.
Credits: NASA

Building on the success of SPHERES (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=303), NASA's first-generation free-flyer, Astrobee, operates either in fully automated mode or under remote control from the ground. It can run longer and requires no supervision fr om the crew, freeing up more astronaut time for research. It also opens up more opportunities to experiment and test capabilities with lower risk. Astrobee is a product of the NASA Game Changing (https://gameon.nasa.gov/) Development Program.

These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations currently happening aboard the orbiting laboratory. For daily updates, follow @ISS_Research (https://twitter.com/ISS_Research), Space Station Research and Technology News (http://www.nasa.gov/stationresearchnews) or our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ISS). For opportunities to see the space station pass over your town, check out Spot the Station (https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqRITyuIojY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqRITyuIojY)
Melissa Gaskill

International Space Station Program Science Office
Johnson Space Center (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html)

[свернуть]

Last Updated: April 9, 2019
Editor: Michael Johnson

ЦитироватьCrew Trains to Capture U.S. Spaceship and Studies the Brain and Breathing

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 10, 2019 at 3:40 pm

The Expedition 59 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html) crew is now training to capture a U.S. cargo ship when it arrives at the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html) next week. ...

Fresh off their spacewalk Monday, astronauts Anne McClain (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/anne-c-mcclain) and David Saint-Jacques (http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/bio-david-saint-jacques.asp) are now practicing to capture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter with the Canadarm2 robotic arm. McClain will be at the robotics workstation in the cupola April 19 and command the Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus around 5:30 a.m. EDT. Saint-Jacques will back her up while Flight Engineer monitors Cygnus' systems during its approach and rendezvous. The commercial cargo craft is due to launch April 17 (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2019/03/07/next-northrop-grumman-cygnus-launch-set-for-april-17/) at 4:46 p.m. from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

ЦитироватьApril 9, 2019

Catch the April 17 Antares Launch From Wallops

April 17 will provide the opportunity to view a daytime launch of Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Wallops and Virginia's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of the Antares rocket, carrying the company's Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station at 4:46 p.m. EDT, April 17.

The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout the mid-Atlantic region and possibly the East Coast of the United States.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207565.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/45248515591_0f35e664e9_b.jpg)
This visibility map of the Mid-Atlantic illustrates potential viewing opportunities in the region of the launch of Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Credits: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

The NASA Visitor Center at Wallops opens at noon on launch day for public viewing. Additional locations for catching the launch are Robert Reed Park on Chincoteague Island or Beach Road spanning the area between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. The beach at the Assateague Island National Seashore/Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge will not be open during the launch.

Visitors are reminded that alcohol, pets and firearms are not allowed on the NASA Visitor Center grounds. Also, because of limited parking, over-size vehicles such as campers and recreational vehicles will not be able to park on the Visitor Center grounds.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208175.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/201407130019hq.jpg)
This file photo shows a launch of an Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Sunday, July 13, 2014.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls

For more information about the Visitor Center, including directions, see:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/visitorcenter

If you can't make it to the Wallops area to view the launch you can still partake in the experience through the Wallops Mission Status Center (https://sites.wff.nasa.gov/wmsc/). There you will find information about the mission and links to live countdown audio as well as live video of the launch. Live coverage of the mission is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. April 17 on the Wallops video and audio Ustream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops) sites.

Спойлер

The Status Center can be reached using a smartphone, computer or tablet using most web browsers including Safari, Firefox or Chrome. It is not compatible with Explorer.

By clicking the tracking link on the Status Center, you can find when you may be able to see the rocket in flight and use your device to find the viewing direction to see the rocket streak across the early morning sky.

Launch updates will be available via the Wallops Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/NASAWFF) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) sites.

Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at 4:15 p.m. EDT. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station

Get more information about Northrop Grumman, its Antares rocket and the Cygnus cargo spacecraft at: http://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman

By Keith Koehler (mailto:keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov?subject=RE%20Antares%20Set%20For%20Launch%20October%2016)
NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (http://www.nasa.gov/wallops), Wallops Island, Va.

[свернуть]

Last Updated: April 10, 2019
Editor: Rob Garner

ЦитироватьГрузовой корабль Cygnus после пуска к МКС проведет на орбите восемь месяцев
17:33

МОСКВА, 12 апр - РИА Новости. Американский грузовой корабль Cygnus, запуск которого к Международной космической станции планируется на 17 апреля, будет летать на орбите рекордные для этой серии кораблей восемь месяцев, сообщило в пятницу НАСА.

Всего к МКС в 2013-2018 годах были отправлены 11 грузовых кораблей Cygnus, из которых один в 2014 году не долетел до станции вследствие аварии ракеты-носителя Antares. Самый длительный полет (100 суток или более трех месяцев) совершил предыдущий корабль в период с ноября 2018 года по февраль 2019 года.

На сайте НАСА отмечается, что запуск корабля Cygnus намечается 17 апреля в 16:46 восточноамериканского времени (23:46 мск). Его ловлю манипулятором станции, управляемым астронавтом НАСА Энн МакКлейн, планируется осуществить 19 апреля в 05:30 восточноамериканского времени (12:30 мск).

НАСА также сообщило, что корабль покинет МКС 23 июля, после чего выведет на орбиту малые спутники. Он будет совершать автономный полет до декабря, затем его сведут с орбиты после восьми месяцев в космосе.

В настоящее время на борту МКС находится экипаж в составе россиян Олега Кононенко и Алексея Овчинина, американцев Энн МакКлейн, Ника Хейга и Кристины Кук, а также канадца Давида Сен-Жака.

ЦитироватьApril 12, 2019
MEDIA ADVISORY M19-028

NASA TV Coverage Set for April 17 Cygnus Launch to International Space Station

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207804.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/iss058e013333.jpg)
View of Expedition 58 flight engineer (FE) David Saint-Jacques collecting breath, ambient air, and blood samples in support of the Marrow investigation.
Credits: NASA/Anne McClain

NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) is scheduled to launch its Antares rocket carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the international Space Station at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17. The launch, as well as briefings preceding and following liftoff, will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live). 

Loaded with 7,500 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, this Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply NASA-contracted mission. It will launch from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home).

About two-and-a-half hours after launch, an automated command will initiate deployment of the spacecraft's solar arrays. Full deployment will take approximately 30 minutes.

The Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the SS Roger Chaffee, will arrive at the space station Friday, April 19. At about 5:30 a.m., Expedition 59 NASA astronaut Anne McClain will grapple the spacecraft using the station's robotic arm. She will be backed up by David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency. NASA astronaut Nick Hague will monitor Cygnus systems during its approach. After capture, ground controllers will command the station's arm to rotate and install Cygnus on the bottom of the station's Unity module.

Complete NASA TV coverage of launch activities is as follows:

Tuesday, April 16:

[/li]
• 1 p.m. – What's on Board science briefing
• Pete Hasbrook, manager, International Space Station Program Science Office
• Liz Warren, associate program scientist, International Space Station National Lab
• Andrew Zarechnak, Cygnus vehicle manager, Northrop Grumman
• Maria G. Bualat, Astrobee Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891), Facility Deputy Group Lead, Intelligent Robotics Group at Ames Research Center
• Dmitry Starodubov, Chief Scientist, Space Fibers (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7375)
• Trisha Rettig, post-doctoral fellow, and Nina Nishiyama, research associate, Rodent Research-12 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7868)
• Bob Twiggs, professor of Astronautics and Space Science at Morehead State University/Co-Inventor of the CubeSat, Twiggs Space Lab; Marty Estep, Antares program operations manager at Northrop Grumman; and Chris Hale, program manager for Virginia Space ThinSat Program (http://vaspace.org/index.php/thinsat-program)
  

[/li][/LIST]

[/li]
• 4 p.m. – Prelaunch news conference
• Pete Hasbrook, manager, International Space Station Program Science Office
• Joel Montalbano, deputy manager, International Space Station Program deputy manager
• Doug Voss, deputy chief of the Wallops Range and Mission Management Office
• Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager, Space Systems, Northrop Grumman
• Kurt Eberly, Antares vice president, Northrop Grumman
  

[/li][/LIST]Wednesday, April 17:

[/li]
• 4:15 p.m. – Launch coverage begins
• 7 p.m. – Cygnus solar array deployment coverage begins
• 8:15 p.m. – Postlaunch news conference
• Joel Montalbano
• Frank DeMauro
• Kurt Eberly
• Pete Hasbrook
  

[/li][/LIST]Friday, April 19

[/li]
• 4 a.m. – Coverage of Rendezvous and capture of Cygnus
• 7 a.m. – Coverage of Cygnus installation operations
  

...
The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until July 23, when it will depart, deploy NanoRacks customer CubeSats, and then have an extended mission in orbit until December before it will dispose of several tons of trash during a scheduled fiery reentry and destruction in Earth's atmosphere.

This will be the final mission under Northrop Grumman's Commercial Resupply Services (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) (CRS-1) contract with NASA before starting the CRS-2 contract missions this fall. Under Northrop Grumman's contract, the company will fly 11 missions.

-end-

Stephanie Schierholz / Gina Anderson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100 / 202-358-1160
stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov (mailto:stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov) / gina.n.anderson@nasa.gov (mailto:gina.n.anderson@nasa.gov)

Last Updated: April 12, 2019
Editor: Sean Potter

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 10 апр. (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1116018005765390336)

We're just one week away from our NG-11 #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) launch to the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station)! If you're on the East Coast, you may be able to spot the launch. Take a look at this viewing map, then turn your eyes to the sky next Wednesday, April 17 at 4:46 p.m. ET! #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160861.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 22 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1116419399458742272)

Our NG-11 #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft is fueled and initial cargo load is complete! Cygnus will now be encapsulated in the #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) fairing in preparation for roll to the launch pad at @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) this weekend. Launch to the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) is set for 4/17 at 4:46pm ET! #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160609.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160610.jpg)

ЦитироватьFOMS, Inc. – In-orbit Manufacturing on the Space Station

Center for the Advancement of Science In Space (CASIS) (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCezcn0GHbLgOkZ85oV5xqZA)

Опубликовано: 11 апр. 2019 г.

In a payload sponsored by the ISS National Lab, FOMS, Inc. is focusing on the production of ZBLAN optical fibers aboard the space station. Fluoride-based optical fiber drawn in a microgravity environment has fewer imperfections (undesired crystallites) and has shown substantial improvement in physical properties compared with glass fiber fabricated on the ground. Advancements in optical fiber production could lead to enhanced bandwidth and data transfer capabilities through cellular and internet providers. Experiments like this will pave the way for manufacturing commercial products in a microgravity environment that are ultimately sold to customers on Earth.

ЦитироватьApril 11, 2019

NASA TV Coverage Set for April 17 Cygnus Launch to the International Space Station

NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) is scheduled to launch its Antares rocket carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the international Space Station at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17. The launch, as well as briefings preceding and following liftoff, will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live). 

Loaded with 7,500 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, this Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply NASA-contracted mission. It will launch from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home).

About two-and-a-half hours after launch, an automated command will initiate deployment of the spacecraft's solar arrays. Full deployment will take approximately 30 minutes.

The Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the SS Roger Chaffee, will arrive at the space station Friday, April 19. At about 5:30 a.m., Expedition 59 NASA astronaut Anne McClain will grapple the spacecraft using the station's robotic arm. She will be backed up by David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency. NASA astronaut Nick Hague will monitor Cygnus systems during its approach. After capture, ground controllers will command the station's arm to rotate and install Cygnus on the bottom of the station's Unity module.

Live coverage of the grapple will begin at 4 a.m. and Cygnus installation coverage will begin at 7 a.m.

If the launch does not occur on Wednesday, April 17, the next launch opportunity is 4:23 p.m. Thursday, April 18, with NASA TV coverage starting at 4 p.m.

Highlights of space station research (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html) that will be facilitated by investigations aboard this Cygnus are:

Спойлер

[/li]
• Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7881)) investigates the growth, microscopic dynamics, and restructuring processes in ordered and disordered structures such as colloidal crystals, glasses, and gels. Colloids provide ideal models for researching the fundamental principles of internal organization in such structures because their particles are small enough to engage in relevant phenomena, yet large enough for detailed study. Colloidal system interactions vary precisely with temperature and undergo a variety of transitions including crystallization and glass formation. Conducting the study in microgravity removes the effects of gravitational stresses.
• Bio-Analyzer (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7393), a Canadian Space Agency (CSA (http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/)) instrument, enhances life sciences research capabilities on the space station. It performs on-orbit detection and quantification of cell surface molecules on a per cell basis, including blood cell counts, and assesses soluble molecule concentration in a liquid sample such as blood, saliva, or urine. Part of the Life Science Research System (LSRS), the Bio-Analyzer uses just a few drops of liquid – a finger prick versus a standard blood draw, for example – and eliminates the need for freezing and storing samples.
• Recent research suggest links between cardiovascular health risk, carotid artery aging, bone metabolism and blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation. Data also indicate accelerated aging-like changes in many astronauts on the space station, including changes to their arteries. The Space Environment Causes Acceleration of Vascular Aging: Roles of Hypogravity, Nutrition, and Radiation (Vascular Aging (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7644)) looks at these changes using artery ultrasounds, blood samples, oral glucose tolerance tests, and wearable sensors. It is one of three related Canadian experiments (http://asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/vascular.asp) studying the effects of weightlessness on the blood vessels and heart.
• A small robot takes on big jobs aboard the space station. The free-flying Astrobee (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891) can help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity, give astronauts a hand with routine chores, and provide additional eyes and ears for flight controllers in Houston.
• Building on the success of SPHERES (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=303), NASA's first-generation free-flyer, Astrobee, operates either in fully automated mode or under remote control from the ground. It can run longer and requires no supervision from the crew, freeing up more astronaut time for research. It also opens up more opportunities to experiment and test capabilities with lower risk. Astrobee is a product of the NASA Game Changing (https://gameon.nasa.gov/) Development Program.
  

[свернуть]

The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until July 23, 2019, when it will depart the station, deploy NanoRacks customer CubeSats, and then have an extended mission until December 2019 before it will dispose of several tons of trash during a fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

This will be the final mission under Northrop Grumman's CRS-1 contract with NASA before starting the CRS-2 contract missions in the fall of 2019. Under Northrop Grumman's Commercial Resupply Services (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) contract, the company will fly 11 missions.

WHAT'S ON BOARD SCIENCE BRIEFING ON NASA TV

Tuesday, April 16 (L-1 day): A science, research and technology briefing will be held at the NASA Visitor Center auditorium at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming internet coverage.

Participants will include:    

[/li]
• Pete Hasbrook, manager, International Space Station Program Science Office
• Liz Warren, associate program scientist, International Space Station National Lab
• Andrew Zarechnak, Cygnus vehicle manager, Northrop Grumman
• Maria G. Bualat, Astrobee Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891), Facility Deputy Group Lead, Intelligent Robotics Group at Ames Research Center
• Dmitry Starodubov, Chief Scientist, Space Fibers (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7375)
• Trisha Rettig, post-doctoral fellow, and Nina Nishiyama, research associate, Rodent Research-12 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7868)
• Bob Twiggs, professor of Astronautics and Space Science at Morehead State University/Co-Inventor of the CubeSat, Twiggs Space Lab; Marty Estep, Antares program operations manager at Northrop Grumman; and Chris Hale, program manager for Virginia Space ThinSat Program (http://vaspace.org/index.php/thinsat-program)
  

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE ON NASA TV

Tuesday, April 16 (L-1 day): A prelaunch status briefing will be held at Wallops NASA Visitor Center auditorium at 4 p.m. NASA TV will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.

Participants will be:

[/li]
• Joel Montalbano, deputy manager, International Space Station Program
• Frank DeMauro, Vice President and General Manager, Space Systems, Northrop Grumman
• Kurt Eberly, Antares vice president, Northrop Grumman
• Doug Voss, Deputy Chief, Range and Mission Management Office, Wallops Flight Facility
  

POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE ON NASA TV

Wednesday, April 17: A post-launch news conference will occur at about 8:15 p.m. and NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.

Participants will be:

[/li]
• Joel Montalbano, deputy manager, International Space Station Program
• Frank DeMauro, Vice President and General Manager, Space Systems Northrop Grumman
• Kurt Eberly, Antares vice president at Northrop Grumman
• Pete Hasbrook, International Space Station Program Science Office
  

NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE

Wednesday, April 17 (Launch day): NASA TV live coverage will begin at 4 p.m. EDT. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

IN-FLIGHT NASA TV COVERAGE

If launch occurs April 17, NASA TV will provide live coverage of the arrival of the Cygnus cargo ship to the International Space Station. NASA TV will cover the rendezvous and grapple of Cygnus on April 19 beginning at 4 a.m. EDT with grapple taking place at approximately 5:30 a.m.  

NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE

Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the Northrop Grumman CRS-11 flight will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming beginning at 11:45 a.m., Wednesday, April 17, on the Wallops Ustream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops) site. Live coverage on the NASA website begins at NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE

You can follow countdown coverage on our launch blog at: https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman
...
Last Updated: April 12, 2019
Editor: Rob Garner

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31566.jpg)Brady Kenniston‏ @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) 39 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1117518507049148416)

I'll be in Virginia this week covering @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)'s NG-11 mission from @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops)! Let's hope for a launch on the first attempt!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160984.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31676.png)NASA HQ PHOTO‏Подлинная учетная запись @nasahqphoto (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto) 9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto/status/1117807508733726720)

The @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) Antares rocket with #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) cargo vehicle onboard is seen as it rolls towards Pad-0A at @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) ahead of the company's 11th resupply mission to @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station). See more (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png) https://flic.kr/s/aHskTMfMuJ  (https://t.co/0F02CyByix)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161012.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 8 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1117824440568614914)

Our NG-11 #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) is rolling out to @VCSFA_MARS (https://twitter.com/VCSFA_MARS) Pad 0A at @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops)!
#NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31159.jpg)NASA Wallops‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1117840969855045632)

Antares, Cygnus, welcome to @VCSFA_MARS (https://twitter.com/VCSFA_MARS)' Pad 0A.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1117885077453565952)

L-2 day launch weather forecast. #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) has a 90% chance of GO weather for its 16:46 EDT (2046 UTC) launch Wednesday of #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) to the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station). @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) @KSpaceAcademy (https://twitter.com/KSpaceAcademy) #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash) #Virginia (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Virginia?src=hash) #Space (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Space?src=hash) #Wallops (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wallops?src=hash) #MARS (https://twitter.com/hashtag/MARS?src=hash)

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ЦитироватьAntares Rocket for Northrop Grumman CRS-11 Rolls to Launch Pad

Rob Garner (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/author/rcgarner/)
Posted Apr 15, 2019 at 10:13 am

NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) is scheduled to launch its Antares rocket carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17.

Loaded with 7,500 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, this is Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply NASA-contracted mission. It will launch from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home).

The team rolled the Antares rocket out from the Horizontal Integration Facility at Wallops the morning of April 15.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130984.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-020-001.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130978.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/40647698843_65e5a3f8bc_k.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130985.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-020-003.jpg)Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130986.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-020-006.jpg)Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130987.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-020-007.jpg)Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130981.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/47614238481_4a3f55bf3d_k.jpg)Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Launch viewing map for the NG-11 launch. Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

More images are available from NASA Headquarters' Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/albums/72157679887079798).

[свернуть]

The launch, as well as briefings preceding and following liftoff, will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live) beginning at 4:15 p.m. EDT April 17.

ЦитироватьCygnus Spaceship at Launch Pad as Crew Trains for Delivery Mission

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 15, 2019 at 12:14 pm

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/131672.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RM6n3r)
Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket is seen as it rolls out to Pad-0A, Monday, April 15, 2019 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The next U.S. spaceship to deliver goods to the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html) rolled out to its launch pad in Virginia today. The Expedition 59 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html) crew is training to capture the U.S. space freighter while also filming a virtual reality experience aboard the orbital lab.

Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman) is poised to launch its Cygnus resupply ship atop an Antares rocket Wednesday at 4:46 p.m. EDT (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-coverage-set-for-april-17-cygnus-launch-to-international-space-station). It will blast off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on a day-and-a-half long delivery trip to the station's Unity module (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/unity).

Astronauts Anne McClain (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/anne-c-mcclain) and David Saint-Jacques (http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/bio-david-saint-jacques.asp) will be waiting for Cygnus' arrival Friday morning from inside the cupola. McClain will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html) to reach out and capture Cygnus about 5:30 a.m. as Saint-Jacques backs her up. Robotics controllers will take over shortly after and remotely install the Cygnus to Unity's Earth-facing point about two hours later.

The duo, supported by NASA astronaut Nick Hague (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tyler-nick-hague), continued reviewing procedures and practicing robotics maneuvers today as Cygnus counts down to its Wednesday launch. NASA TV (https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv) will broadcast the launch and capture activities live.
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ЦитироватьLatest Weather Forecast for April 17 Antares Launch: 90% Favorable

Rob Garner (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/author/rcgarner/)
Posted Apr 15, 2019 at 4:42 pm

The latest weather forecast stands at 90% favorable for the April 17 launch of Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home). At this time, cloud ceilings, ground winds and thick clouds are the weather concerns for a launch attempt on Wednesday afternoon.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130978.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/40647698843_65e5a3f8bc_k.jpg)
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket is seen as it rolls out to Pad-0A, Monday, April 15, 2019, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman's 11th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,500 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) is scheduled to launch its Antares rocket carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17.

Loaded with 7,500 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, this is Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply NASA-contracted mission. It will launch from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home).

High pressure builds into the region overnight through tomorrow, allowing winds to subside later this evening. Tranquil and seasonable conditions prevail tomorrow with the high located just to our south. Another area of high pressure dips south into the northeast states Tuesday night into Wednesday, forcing a cold front south over the Delmarva Wednesday morning, then eventually the Wallops area.

ЦитироватьInternational Space Station U.S. National Laboratory Research Overview, Northrop Grumman CRS-11

Center for the Advancement of Science In Space (CASIS) (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCezcn0GHbLgOkZ85oV5xqZA)

Опубликовано: 15 апр. 2019 г.

The International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory is managing more than a dozen separate payloads launching aboard Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply services mission to the orbiting laboratory. Building on basic science knowledge gained in previous ISS National Lab-sponsored missions, new applied science projects will focus on materials and physical sciences, in-orbit manufacturing, drug development, and small satellite deployment are part of this mission. Here is a snap shot of what research is headed to station!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 20 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1117967714184724480)

NG-11 Mission Update! #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) rolled to the pad @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) & we are now vertical! Tomorrow we'll lower the rocket in order to load our late cargo just 24 hours prior to launch. Stay tuned as we bring you more mission info and an inside look with #NASASocial (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASASocial?src=hash)!
#NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143001.jpg) (https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32675963047_c207febf33_k.jpg)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 49 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118133936960438274)

Just one day to go! #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) is up on the pad at @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) and is ready for final preparations, including the first 24-hour late load later today, as we continue to work toward tomorrow's 4:46pm ET launch of our #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png) #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

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ЦитироватьDaybreak at the Launch Pad

Rob Garner (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/author/rcgarner/)
Posted Apr 16, 2019 at 8:50 am

NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) raised its Antares rocket into vertical position the evening of April 15.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130980.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/46897241654_e239837ba0_k.jpg)
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen during sunrise on Pad-0A, Tuesday, April 16, 2019. Northrop Grumman's 11th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,600 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Antares rocket carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station is scheduled for launch at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17.

Loaded with 7,600 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, this is Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply NASA-contracted mission. It will launch from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home).

ЦитироватьU.S. Resupply Ship Poised for Launch as Crew Studies Life Science

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 16, 2019 at 9:48 am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/131673.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2es9C4Y)
The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen during sunrise on Pad-0A, Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia

The U.S. Cygnus resupply ship from Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman) is encapsulated atop the Antares rocket and standing at its launch pad in Virginia. The Expedition 59 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html) crew is training for its capture at the end of the week in the midst of ongoing life science aboard the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html).

Cygnus will blast off Wednesday at 4:46 p.m. EDT (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-coverage-set-for-april-17-cygnus-launch-to-international-space-station) from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. It will deliver about 7,600 pounds of science, supplies and hardware to the orbital residents. Flight Engineer Anne McClain (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/anne-c-mcclain), with astronaut David Saint-Jacques (http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/bio-david-saint-jacques.asp) backing her up, will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html) to reach out and capture Cygnus Friday about 5:30 a.m.

The duo continued sharpening their robotics skills today as they practiced Friday's Cygnus capture maneuvers and techniques on a computer. NASA TV (https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv) will broadcast the space freighter's launch and capture activities live.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118161875772919809)

#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) is vertical @ Pad-0A @ MARS/Wallops for Combined Systems Test. Will come horizontal this afternoon for 17:00 EDT (2100 UTC) cargo late load; 1st time #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) is capable of late load! All on track for launch at 16:46 EDT (2046 UTC) Wednesday. #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) ((https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png): @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman))

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ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 4/15/2019

Cygnus On-board Training:
Crewmembers scheduled to capture NG-11 (Cygnus) performed a Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) session. ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback. NG-11 is on track to launch on April 17 and berth to ISS on April 19.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31566.jpg)Brady Kenniston‏ @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) 24 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1118184800014295041)

Antares is vertical to launch #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) tomorrow at 4:46pm EDT. Media toured the pad area and Horizontal Integration Facility ahead of remote camera setup later today.

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Спойлер

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[свернуть]

Цитировать2 p.m. –  Northrop Grumman Cygnus What's on Board Science Briefing (All Channels)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118219213561319424)

#DYK (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DYK?src=hash) This is the first #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) mission to feature our 24-hour late load capability. In a few hours, #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash) teams at @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) will bring #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) back to a horizontal position and load in additional time-sensitive cargo prior to tomorrow's launch to @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 9 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118247177732743177)

The NG-11 mission will feature a long-duration flight of #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash), demonstrating the spacecraft's ability to remain in space separate from the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station). This capability could be used on future missions for experiments and technology demonstrations.
#NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1118248261737959424)

Good news for tomorrow's Cygnus NG-11 launch from Wallops: 95% chance of acceptable weather; 80% if it slips to Thursday.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118251469852033024)

Our teams have completed the NG-11 Launch Readiness Review (LRR) and we are GO for launch of #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) carrying the #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft to the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station)! The 5-minute launch window will open at 4:46 pm EDT tomorrow (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png) Be sure to watch live on @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) TV!
#NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

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ЦитироватьLatest Launch Forecast: 95% Favorable Weather

Rob Garner (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/author/rcgarner/)
Posted Apr 16, 2019 at 4:23 pm

Weather stands at 95% favorable for the April 17 launch of Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home), according to the latest range forecast. At this time, cloud ceilings and ground winds are the primary weather concerns for a launch attempt on Wednesday afternoon.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130977.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/33744244598_38953dc124_k.jpg)
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is seen during sunrise on Pad-0A, Tuesday, April 16, 2019, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman's 11th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,600 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) is scheduled to launch its Antares rocket carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17.

Loaded with 7,600 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, this is Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply NASA-contracted mission. It will launch from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home), on the state's Eastern Shore.

High pressure will continue to provide pleasant conditions today to the Delmarva before moving offshore this evening and overnight. Another area of high pressure dips south into the northeast states tonight into Wednesday, forcing a cold front south over the northern Eastern Shore tomorrow morning, then eventually the Wallops area. Once the front moves through, winds will shift to an east-northeasterly direction and increase with wind gusts in the upper teens while advecting scattered low-level cloudiness across the range. Upper level cloudiness will also be increasing during the afternoon as a weak upper-level disturbance approaches the Eastern Shore.

ЦитироватьNASA | "What's on Board" science briefing for NG-11 mission.

space googlevesaire (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Iv92nZE21XWt0B1ZTCd6Q)

Трансляция началась 2 часа назад

"What's on Board" science briefing for NG-11 mission. Scientists and researchers discuss their experiments to launch aboard Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station. Credit : NASA

ЦитироватьNASA | Prelaunch news conference for NG-11 mission

space googlevesaire (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Iv92nZE21XWt0B1ZTCd6Q)

Трансляция началась 2 часа назад

Prelaunch news conference for NG-11 mission. Officials from NASA Wallops, the International Space Station program and Northrop Grumman update the status of April 17 launch.
Credit : NASA

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186347.jpg)Anne McClain‏Подлинная учетная запись @AstroAnnimal (https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal) 7 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1118291020448452608)

Did you know that cargo vehicles don't autonomously dock to @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station)? Instead, they park close by and we capture them with #CanadaArm2 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanadaArm2?src=hash) – called a "grapple." We're practicing that maneuver a lot this week to be ready for Friday's planned arrival of #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) NG-11.

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ЦитироватьApril 16, 2019

NASA 'Nose' Importance of Humans, Robots Exploring Together

NASA is sending humans forward to the Moon, this time to stay. Upcoming expeditions to the Moon will require making every moment of astronaut time outside the safety of the Gateway in orbit and lunar lander system on the surface count. Robotics will enable lunar crews to do more while minimizing their risk.

NASA's Satellite Servicing Projects Division (https://sspd.gsfc.nasa.gov/) is teaming up with the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html) to develop the technologies for this kind of astronaut-robotic collaboration, and tomorrow is launching a Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) (https://sspd.gsfc.nasa.gov/rell.html) aboard Cygnus on Northrop Grumman's 11th Commercial Resupply Services mission.

Spacecraft and habitats rely on extensive cooling systems. Just as coolant in a car is used to cool its engine, ammonia is circulated through a huge system of pumps, reservoirs and radiators on station to cool its complex life support systems, spacecraft equipment and science experiments. RELL is a "sniffer," or a robotic, remote-controlled tool that helps mission operators detect the location of external ammonia leaks on space station and rapidly confirm a successful repair.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208013.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/rell.jpg)
The Robotic External Leak Locator flight unit before launch.
Credits: NASA

"RELL capabilities help mitigate the risk of the potentially severe impacts to the space station presented by an external ammonia leak," said Christopher Craw, ISS Senior Systems Integration Lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

When it arrives at ISS, this will be the second RELL on board and will serve as a spare. The first flight RELL is already on board station where it successfully located a leak in one of these systems (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-s-robotic-sniffer-confirms-space-station-leak-repair/), significantly reducing astronaut time required outside of station to inspect and repair the leak.

"The decision to build and fly another flight unit seemed like the obvious choice to ensure this capability was going to be available to the ISS Program through the rest of spacecraft's life," said Adam Naids, ISS Hardware Development Engineer at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208068.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/shane_kimbrough_leak_locator.jpg)
Astronaut Shane Kimbrough with RELL aboard the International Space Station.
Credits: NASA

After Cygnus delivers the second RELL to station, the plan is to store the unit until an ammonia leak is detected. Then, a game of "hot and cold" would begin. Affixed to the Canadian Space Agency's Dextre robot arm, RELL would be moved around the outside of station using its mass spectrometer "sniffer" to locate ammonia leaks. When RELL is directed toward a leak, it returns a higher signal. The higher the signal, the closer the leak. This process allows RELL to pinpoint the source of any given ammonia leak, giving space station managers the information they need to understand and correct the problem.

Before RELL, astronauts manually searched for leaks on spacewalks, which always carry an element of risk. The Leak Locator that is currently stationed in-orbit has proven its worth, paving the way for the second unit.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208012.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/rell_in_orbit.jpg)
The Robotic External Leak Locator on the end of the Dextre robot in February 2017.
Credits: NASA

Both RELL units will eventually be stored in the Robotics Tool Stowage, or RiTS, which is still in development. Once installed to the outside of station, RiTS will store the instruments so they are available when needed to track down a leak.

The RELL design includes two sensors: a mass spectrometer and a total pressure gauge.

The mass spectrometer measures the number of molecules present in any molecular mass to create a "mass spectrum" reading. Based on this data, analysts determine the composition of present gases. The mass spectrometer can distinguish between trace orbital gasses, which occur naturally, and chemicals potentially originating on station, such as ammonia. This tool can tell the difference from a football field length away.

The total pressure gauge measures the total pressure in space. After the general vicinity of a leak is known, the pressure gauge is able to pinpoint it within a few inches in real time.

The benefits of leak detection have already been proven on station, and this ability could be similarly helpful for long-term human habitation on the lunar Gateway, a lunar habitat, and perhaps one day a crewed voyage to Mars. At its core, RELL is a robotics-controlled characterizer of the local environment. This same ability could be used to determine the composition of nearby environments for exploration on the lunar surface, and for scientific and resource utilization purposes.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207657.png) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/astronauts_lunar_craterv2_0.png)

The president's direction from Space Policy Directive-1 (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/new-space-policy-directive-calls-for-human-expansion-across-solar-system) galvanizes NASA's return to the Moon and builds on progress on the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, collaborations with U.S industry and international partners, and knowledge gained from current robotic assets at the Moon and Mars.

Whether reducing the risk to astronauts on station or one day "sniffing out" the environment of an extraterrestrial world, the human-robotics collaboration demonstrated by RELL will be a vital part of NASA's exploration future.

By Kathryn Cawdrey
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

[свернуть]

Last Updated: April 16, 2019
Editor: Rob Garner

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31676.png)NASA HQ PHOTO‏Подлинная учетная запись @nasahqphoto (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto) 9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto/status/1118326468977799168)

Mission engineers load the final cargo into the @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft onboard the Antares rocket at @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) Pad-0A ahead of the company's 11th resupply mission to @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station). See more (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png) https://flic.kr/s/aHskTMfMuJ  (https://t.co/0F02CyByix)

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Цитировать04/17/2019 07:34 Stephen Clark

Ground crews at Wallops Island, Virginia, are installing time-sensitive cargo into Northrop Grumman's Cygnus supply ship overnight before liftoff aboard an Antares rocket at 4:46 p.m. EDT (2046 GMT) Wednesday on a mission to the International Space Station.

The Antares rocket rolled out to launch pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Monday morning. The Antares emerged from its horizontal integration facility and rode a self-propelled transporter for the one-mile road trip to pad 0A.

After rolling up the ramp to the pad, Northrop Grumman crews raised the Antares rocket vertical for final checkouts and a combined systems test, which verifies all connections between the launch pad, the Antares rocket and its transporter/erector, and the Cygnus spacecraft.

Officials also met Tuesday for a launch readiness review and cleared the Antares rocket for flight, with the five-hour countdown timed to begin at 11:46 a.m. EDT (1546 GMT).

There is a 95 percent chance of favorable weather for launch Wednesday.

Спойлер

The Cygnus spacecraft will lift off with 7,575 pounds (3,436 kilograms) of supplies, experiments and CubeSats to begin the day-and-a-half-long journey to the space station.

The supply ship will complete an automated approach to the orbiting research complex early Friday, with capture by the station's Canadian-built robotic arm at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT).

The cargo mission will be the 11th launch of a Cygnus resupply freighter under a $2.89 billion contract with NASA. One of the missions failed on launch in 2014.

The mission set for liftoff Wednesday is designated NG-11. The Cygnus supply ship has been christened the "S.S. Roger Chaffee" after the late NASA astronaut who perished in the Apollo 1 fire in 1967.

For the first time on this mission, the Cygnus supply ship is being loaded with time-sensitive cargo overnight using a mobile clean room positioned over the top of the Antares rocket's payload shroud.

After lowering the rocket horizontal Tuesday evening, technicians moved the clean room in place and opened the top of the Antares fairing, which was modified to accommodate the late-load procedure.

More than 300 pounds (about 150 kilograms) of equipment was to be loaded into the Cygnus supply ship overnight, including a habitat with 40 mice heading to the space station for researchers to study their immune systems' response to spaceflight.

The NG-11 mission marks the first time a rodent research payload has flown aboard a Cygnus supply ship.

The Antares rocket is expected to be rotated back vertical around daybreak Wednesday in preparation for the countdown.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьPhotos: Antares reaches launch pad in Virginia for space station cargo mission
April 16, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

A two-stage Northrop Grumman Antares rocket rolled out of its horizontal integration facility Monday for the mile-journey south to launch pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia, where liftoff on a space station resupply mission is scheduled for Wednesday.

Riding a self-propelled transporter/erector along a two-lane road, the Antares rocket completed the one-mile journey to pad 0A with an uphill trip up the ramp leading to the seaside launch mount. The 139-foot-tall (42.5-meter) Antares rocket was raised vertical at pad 0A for final pre-flight checkouts Monday night.

After passing a combined systems test, in which engineers verified all connections between the Antares rocket, ground systems and the Cygnus supply ship, the launcher was rotated back horizontal Tuesday evening for final loading of time-sensitive cargo.

The late-load procedure marks the first time Northrop Grumman has added time-sensitive payloads to the Cygnus spacecraft less than 24 hours before liftoff. The capability allows teams to load fresh food and research specimens shortly before launch, and crews plan to add a habitat containing mice for immune system research on the Cygnus spacecraft slated to lift off Wednesday.

Спойлер

The launch of Northrop Grumman's NG-11 cargo mission is set for 4:46 p.m. EDT (2046 GMT) Wednesday, and the supply ship is set to arrive at the space station Friday.

Two RD-181 main engines, burning kerosene and liquid oxygen, will drive the Antares launcher off the pad with approximately 864,000 pounds of thrust.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145438.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 48 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118471801334636549)

It's a beautiful morning at @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops)! Are you ready for a rocket launch? We are! Launch is set for this afternoon at 4:46pm EDT. Can't watch in person? Tune in to @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) TV for live coverage beginning at 4:00pm.
#NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash) #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161075.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186266.jpg)NanoRacks‏Подлинная учетная запись @NanoRacks (https://twitter.com/NanoRacks) 55 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NanoRacks/status/1118498319280615424)

We've got a full mission launching today - 3 #CubeSats (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CubeSats?src=hash) in our external #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) deployer, 1 hosted payload to stay inside the deployer, 7 #CubeSats (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CubeSats?src=hash) for @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station), plant growth research & an incredible fiber optics #ZBLAN (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZBLAN?src=hash) experiment. Our #LEO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/LEO?src=hash) ecosystem is busy as ever! #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash)

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(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161079.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 43 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118509862361686017)

For those who like precision, #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash)' precise target liftoff time today is at the opening of its 5min window at 16:46:06 EDT (2046:06 UTC). #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #RogerChaffee (https://twitter.com/hashtag/RogerChaffee?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

((https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png): @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist))

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Цитировать04/17/2019 16:11 Stephen Clark

Technicians working at pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia have completed the final loading of cargo into Northrop Grumman's Cygnus supply ship, and the Antares rocket has been raised vertical again in preparation for today's countdown.

Specialists removed the top of the Antares rocket's payload shroud and opened the forward hatch to the Cygnus spacecraft Tuesday evening to load time-sensitive cargo into the supply ship. This mission is the first time Northrop Grumman has introduced the new capability to install equipment into the cargo craft's pressurized module less than 24 hours before liftoff.

The items loaded Tuesday night included a habitat with 40 mice heading to the International Space Station to help researchers study how microgravity affects the animals' immune system.

With the work complete, ground crews closed the hatch and placed the top of the payload fairing back on the rocket, then raised Antares vertical earlier this morning.

Liftoff of the 139-foot-tall (42.5-meter) rocket is set for 4:46:06 p.m. EDT (2046:06 GMT).

Here's a view of the Antares rocket at pad 0A after sunrise today, captured by NASA photographer Bill Ingalls.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2236642628404971360/20190417131157_234047.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2236642628404971360/20190417131157_234047.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118529513548390401)

And there's been an adjustment based on day-of ISS position. New opening of the launch window, and the target launch time, is 2 seconds earlier at 16:46:04 EDT (2046:04 UTC).
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #RogerChaffee (https://twitter.com/hashtag/RogerChaffee?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

Цитировать04/17/2019 18:49 Countdown begins Stephen Clark

The countdown began on time to begin final preps for today's 4:46 p.m. EDT (2046 GMT) blastoff of the 14-story Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The Antares rocket will be powered up in the next hour or so, and the launch team is going through a checklist of testing to ensure all systems are in good shape. The launch pad is also scheduled to be evacuated of all personnel early in the countdown sequence.

The call-to-stations for the engineers on the launch team occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT), with voice checks and opening of the prelaunch checklist at 11:46 a.m. EDT (1546 GMT).

Propellant loading should begin around 90 minutes prior to liftoff.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 9 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118543449492480001)
Per NASA, #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) launch time had moved by a few seconds (again) to 16:46:07 EDT (2046:07 UTC).
#Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #RogerChaffee (https://twitter.com/hashtag/RogerChaffee?src=hash)

Цитировать04/17/2019 19:01 Stephen Clark

Northrop Grumman shortened the countdown for today's launch as the team streamlines their launch preparations. The abbreviated countdown timeline allows for extra time for technicians to load time-sensitive cargo into the Cygnus supply ship, an activity that was completed over night at Wallops before the Antares rocket was raised vertical.

The countdowns before past Antares missions started 6 hours, 15 minutes, before liftoff. Today's countdown is five hours in length.

Цитировать04/17/2019 19:44 Stephen Clark

All personnel are evacuating the launch pad and are at a nearby fallback area, clearing the way for the launch team to begin powering up the vehicle for pre-launch testing.

Цитировать04/17/2019 19:49 Stephen Clark

The launch team has powered up the Antares and Cygnus vehicles for systems checks.

ЦитироватьNorthrop Grumman introducing new capabilities on Cygnus cargo craft
April 16, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145429.jpg)
File photo of a Cygnus supply ship departing the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman's 10th cargo mission Feb. 8. Credit: NASA

The next Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station set for liftoff Wednesday from Virginia's Eastern Shore will introduce new capabilities for the commercial cargo freighter, including a longer operating life enabled by fuel-saving gyroscopes to support an extended mission months after the spacecraft departs the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman officials said.

The Cygnus supply ship is set for liftoff at 4:46 p.m. EDT (2046 GMT) Wednesday from launch pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. A two-stage Antares rocket will power the Cygnus spacecraft into orbit on the first leg of a journey to the space station set to conclude with the supply ship's capture with the lab's Canadian-built robotic arm around 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT) Friday.

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor on the Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft programs, and company officials said Tuesday that the mission set for launch Wednesday — the 11th Cygnus resupply flight under a $2.89 billion contract with NASA — will debut several new capabilities allowing the cargo craft to accommodate more science experiments, and potentially missions into deep space in support of NASA's moon landing ambitions.

A package of four control moment gyroscopes are installed aboard the Cygnus spacecraft for a demonstration after the supply ship completes its cargo delivery at the space station. Using momentum to manage the spacecraft's pointing, or attitude, the four spinning gyroscopes will reduce the Cygnus spacecraft's consumption of liquid propellants, which feed thrusters normally used to change the supply ship's orientation.

The innovation will allow the Cygnus spacecraft to remain in orbit for up to a year. Cygnus missions have previously lasted no more than three or four months.

The extended mission will only begin after the Cygnus supply ship departs the space station in July, completing the spacecraft's primary objective. The Cygnus mission, designated NG-11, will blast off with 7,575 pounds (3,436 kilograms) of cargo, including new flying robots that could help astronauts with chores on the space station, medical experiments, and 40 mice to be studied by astronauts and researchers to examine how their immune systems cope with the conditions of spaceflight.

Спойлер

Powered by two kerosene-fueled Russian RD-181 main engines and a U.S.-built solid-fueled Castor 30XL upper stage, the Antares rocket will place the Cygnus spacecraft into orbit around nine minutes after liftoff, kicking off the freighter's pursuit of the space station.

After Friday's arrival, the station crew will unpack around 6,971 pounds (3,162 kilograms) of food, crew provisions and science experiments from the Cygnus spacecraft's pressurized cargo module, built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy, then repack the ship with trash before its departure in late July.

[свернуть]

After release from the station's robotic arm, the cargo craft will boost itself into a higher orbit for deployment of several CubeSats, similar to maneuvers accomplished by previous Cygnus missions. But instead of commanding the spacecraft to plunge back into the atmosphere for a destructive re-entry, Northrop Grumman ground controllers will begin the extended mission experiment.

"We'll use the control moment gyros to control the spacecraft attitude, as opposed to fuel," said Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's space systems division.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145481.jpg)
Four control moment gyroscopes, and their associated power and control electronics, are housed in a 17-inch (43-centimeter) cube package on the Cygnus spacecraft's service module. Credit: Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman officials previously said the extended mission demo could last a year, but DeMauro said the mission's duration will depend on when engineers accomplish all their objectives.

"How long we go really will depend on when we achieve our goals for the extended mission (demonstration)," DeMauro said.

"We want to accomplish a couple of things," he said. "First, we want to show how the spacecraft works with the CMGs (control moment gyroscopes) and demonstrate that our platform can use CMGs — not only our platform but other Northrop Grumman spacecraft platforms.

"The second thing we want to do is show that the avionics can run for extended period of time," DeMauro said. "We've typically run them for several months as we've gone through testing, and then in orbit they run for three to four months, depending on how long we're in orbit. This time, we want to demonstrate an even longer period of time that the computers run error-free, and that the attitude control system works just as expected."

The control moment gyroscopes were built by Honeywell, using new miniaturized technology that could be used on future small satellites.

Northrop Grumman wants to keep the NG-11 Cygnus spacecraft in orbit through the launch of the company's next resupply mission to the space station, designated NG-12, currently scheduled for October.

Officials want to offer the Cygnus spacecraft as a hosting platform for science and technology experiments after it leaves the space station. DeMauro said the Cygnus spacecraft provides a smooth microgravity environment for research in orbit, even better than the space station, which has disturbances from the movement of crew members and other external influences. The use of gyroscopes will make for more pristine microgravity conditions, eliminating impulses from thruster firings to change the ship's orientation.

"The idea is that for future missions, we can outfit Cygnus to have the extended duration, and then after we complete the primary mission, offer this extended duration to either the government or commercial entities," DeMauro said in an interview Tuesday with Spaceflight Now. "We want to give them enough time in orbit that isn't restricted by when the next mission goes up, so having the ability to fly two Cygnus (spacecraft) in orbit at the same time is critical."

Like past Cygnus missions, the spacecraft will re-enter the atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean once the extended duration demonstration is complete.

Спойлер

The NG-11 mission is the last Cygnus flight under Northrop Grumman's first cargo transportation contract with NASA, a deal originally signed in 2008. The company has a follow-on Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-2, contract for at least six additional Cygnus missions through 2024, beginning with the NG-12 mission later this year.

"Our push is to offer NASA increased science capability on each mission," DeMauro said.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145480.jpg)
The modified payload fairing of Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket features a removable top to give workers access to the Cygnus spacecraft for late cargo loading at the launch pad. Credit: Northrop Grumman

For the first time, ground teams at Wallops planned to load time-sensitive cargo into the Cygnus spacecraft at the launch pad Tuesday night, less than 24 hours before liftoff. Northrop Grumman developed a new mobile clean room to be positioned over the Antares rocket's payload shroud, with the launcher lowered back to a horizontal position following preliminary pre-launch checkouts.

Technicians removed the top of the payload fairing and opened the Cygnus hatch to allow teams to load the enclosure containing the rodent research experiment. The NG-11 mission marks the first time a rodent research payload has flown aboard a Cygnus supply ship, following multiple missions on SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule.

The NG-11 mission will also debut a new navigation system on the Antares rocket, ahead of additional launcher upgrades coming with the first CRS-2 mission later this year.

Engineers will beef up the Antares rocket's structure for the next mission to allow the first stage's twin RD-181 engines to fly at full throttle as the launcher flies through the most extreme period of aerodynamic pressure, or Max-Q, after liftoff. The engines are currently throttled back to around 70 percent power to ease the passage through Max-Q.

Northrop Grumman is also removing some unnecessary insulation from the Castor 30XL upper stage, and switching from a three-piece fairing adapter to a lighter structure. Future Antares rockets will also fly with two fewer helium pressurization bottles in the first stage, hardware that data from previous launches indicated was not required. The changes will increase the mass of payloads the Antares rocket can loft into orbit.

"That will enable us to pack even more cargo into the cargo modules," DeMauro said. "We've made some more modifications to be able to pack it more efficiently. That will be able to give us another 10 percent or so more cargo in the same volume."

The Cygnus team has taken a step-by-step approach with upgrades since the spacecraft's inaugural mission.

Since the Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft's first missions in 2013, engineers from Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems — previously known as Orbital Sciences and Orbital ATK — have introduced a larger Thales-built cargo module and debuted new RD-181 engines for the Antares first stage. Officials replaced the Antares rocket's original AJ26 first stage engines after one of the powerplants failed on a 2014 launch, destroying a Cygnus spacecraft heading for the space station and damaging the launch pad at Wallops Island.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145514.jpg)
Artist's concept of a Gateway station near the moon using Cygnus-derived modules. Credit: Northrop Grumman

DeMauro said the expanded performance and longer lifetime of the newest generation of Cygnus supply ships positions the spacecraft for more demanding missions in the future, including flights into deep space to support NASA's plans to build a mini-space station called the Gateway in lunar orbit, with a goal set by the Trump administration of landing astronauts on the moon as soon as 2024.

"Going out to cislunar space will be a little bit different," DeMauro said. "So we've looked at the avionics upgrades required for the higher radiation environment, different communications systems, docking versus berthing systems."

Northrop Grumman has a NASA contract to develop a habitat concept based on the Cygnus design, which could be attached to NASA's Gateway around the moon to provide living quarters for astronauts. Lunar landers could be staged at the Gateway for trips to and from the moon's surface.

"We think we're in a good place to offer NASA a proven, yet upgraded technology suite on a Cygnus-class vehicle to provide all sorts of services out in cislunar space, whether it's habitats, logistics services, science and utilization services, as well as even power and propulsion systems out there. Cygnus is a stepping stone from that point of view," DeMauro said.

The Cygnus spacecraft set for launch Wednesday is named the "S.S. Roger Chaffee" after the late astronaut who perished in the Apollo 1 fire at Cape Canaveral in 1967.

"Given that Lt. Cmdr. Chaffee never made it into space, which was his dream, we decided to name this vehicle the S.S. Roger Chaffee in his honor," DeMauro said. "It's something that's very special to us, and it's very special to his family, and to all of the team."

Members of the Chaffee family will attend Wednesday's launch from Wallops Island.

"That's just something that makes this extra special, so we're looking forward to seeing them here," DeMauro said.

[свернуть]

Цитировать04/17/2019 20:07 Stephen Clark

The propellant loading sequencer has been initiated, beginning steps to ready the Antares rocket and ground systems for filling of the first stage with liquid propellants later in the countdown.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118560997948760064)

So even though the launch window opens at 16:46:07 EDT, Antares teams have just confirmed that the optimum launch time today (and what they will target) is: 16:48:36.33 EDT (2048:36.33 UTC )
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)/QUOTE]

ЦитироватьAntares launch timeline on the NG-11 mission
April 17, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143824.jpg)
Credit: Orbital ATK

Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket will deliver a Cygnus supply ship into orbit Wednesday to begin a day-and-a-half pursuit of the International Space Station.

The rocket's two RD-181 engines will ignite around 3.7 seconds before liftoff from pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, a complex owned by the state of Virginia at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

Launch is timed for 4:46 p.m. EDT (2046 GMT) Wednesday.

The first stage's two RD-181 engines will power up to 864,000 pounds of thrust and burn for 3 minutes, 35 seconds, to accelerate the rocket to more than 8,750 mph (3.9 kilometers per second) and an altitude of around 61 miles (99 kilometers), then separate from the upper stage's Castor 30XL motor about six seconds later.

The launch, known as NG-11 in Northrop Grumman's station resupply manifest, will be the fifth Antares mission using new, more powerful RD-181 engines, which the company ordered from the Russian engine-builder NPO Energomash to replace decades-old Russian-built AJ26 engines blamed for an Antares rocket crash seconds after liftoff in October 2014.

Once the first stage finished its job on the NG-11 launch the Antares rocket's 12.8-foot-diameter (3.9-meter) diameter payload shroud will jettison in two halves at around T+plus 4 minutes, 11 seconds. An interstage adapter that connected the first and second stages will separate at T+plus 4 minutes, 16 seconds.

The launcher's Castor 30XL solid-fueled upper stage will ignite at T+plus 4 minutes, 24 seconds, and generate up to 104,300 pounds of thrust during a burn lasting approximately 2 minutes, 42 seconds. The second stage motor will burn out at approximately T+plus 7 minutes, 6 seconds, then deploy the Cygnus spacecraft at around T+plus 9 minutes, 6 seconds.

The spacecraft's two cymbal-shaped electricity-generating solar arrays will unfurl in a fan-like motion around two hours into the mission, and the ship's thrusters will begin fine-tuning its approach to the space station with a series of course-correction burns, setting up for a laser-guided final approach Friday.

Цитировать04/17/2019 20:25 Stephen Clark

A team of technicians is being dispatched to the Antares launch pad to work on an issue involving the rocket's transporter, erector and launcher system. Countdown remains on track for liftoff at 4:46pm EDT (2046 GMT).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 7 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118566183584899073)

Issue with TEL will require Red Team to go back to the pad and perform ~15mins op. Launch team is still progressing with no discussed impact to launch at this time.
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118567222018965504)

RF open loop and transmitter checks being done now instead of waiting as Red Team reviews procedures they'll go once they get to the pad.
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

Цитировать04/17/2019 20:52 Stephen Clark

The red team has completed work on the transporter, erector and launcher system at pad 0A. The technicians are now back out of the pad.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118572897734463489)

Red Team has COMPLETED their task and cleared the pad. "We are good to proceed at this time." Helium initiation in 30-ish minutes. All systems GREEN at this time!
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

ЦитироватьNorthrop Grumman's CRS-11 Mission: What's on Board?

NASA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ)

Опубликовано: 17 апр. 2019 г.

What's on the next cargo mission launching to the International Space Station? Over 7,600 pounds of science, research and supplies for the astronaut crew are packed on board Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft. It's set to launch aboard an Antares rocket on April 17 at 4:46 p.m. EDT.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186266.jpg)NanoRacks‏Подлинная учетная запись @NanoRacks (https://twitter.com/NanoRacks) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NanoRacks/status/1118523660648759297)

In the external #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) deployer we have AeroCube 10A & B, and Seeker/Kenobi - Kenobi being the hosted payload that will stay inside the deployer, running communication channels for the Seeker #CubeSat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CubeSat?src=hash)


4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NanoRacks/status/1118525026393833477)

For our @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) #CubeSat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CubeSat?src=hash) deployment, we are launching: IOD-1 GEMS, EntrySat, KRAKSat, Swiatowid, Aeternitas, Ceres, & Libertas!

Цитировать04/17/2019 21:37 Stephen Clark

A series of slew, or steering checks, of the Antares rocket's propulsion system has been accomplished.

Цитировать04/17/2019 21:56 Stephen Clark

The countdown has entered a pre-planned built-in hold. An upd ated status on the countdown from Northrop Grumman launch conductor Adam Lewis shows the Antares rocket, the Cygnus spacecraft and the Wallops range are all "green" at this time for liftoff at 4:46:07 p.m. EDT (2046:07 GMT).

The Cygnus spacecraft se t for launch aboard the Antares rocket is named the S.S. Roger Chaffee in honor of the late astronaut who perished in the Apollo 1 fire at Cape Canaveral in 1967.

The S.S. Roger Chaffee is packed with 6,971 pounds (3,162 kilograms) of supplies and experiments heading to the International Space Station. Here's a breakdown of the cargo manifest provided by NASA:

[/li]
• 3,459 pounds (1,569 kilograms) of science investigations
• 2,065 pounds (936 kilograms) of crew supplies
• 1,384 pounds (628 kilograms) of vehicle hardware
• 77 pounds (35 kilograms) of Northrop Grumman hardware
• 53 pounds (24 kilograms) of spacewalk equipment
• 10 pounds (5 kilograms) of computer resources
  

The Cygnus supply ship is expected to remain berthed at the International Space Station's Unity module until late July, when it will be released by the station's robotic arm.

The automated cargo carrier, loaded with trash after its departure from the station, will fire its engine to climb into a higher orbit roughly 300 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth to deploy multiple CubeSats, then begin an extended flight in orbit lasting through the end of the year to demonstrate the Cygnus spacecraft's long-duration mission capability.

Цитировать04/17/2019 22:04 Stephen Clark

The launch weather office reports good conditions this afternoon at Wallops Island, Virginia. There is a 0 percent chance of weather prohibiting launch today.

At launch time, the forecast calls for high thin cirrus clouds, good visibility, winds from the east-northeast at 14 knots, and a temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum upper level winds will be 91 knots at 35,000 feet.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118592487390633986)

Antares launches to the Space Station have to launch southeast from Virginia - a major visual change from Florida's northeast launches to Station. But for the same reason: to avoid land overflight.
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) ((https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png): GoISSWatch app)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161089.jpg)

Цитировать04/17/2019 22:25 Stephen Clark

Today's mission is the first Antares launch to carry secondary payloads inside the rocket's second stage. One shoebox-sized CubeSat and 63 "ThinSats," tiny satellites about the size of a slice of a bread, will separate from the second stage around four-and-a-half minutes after deployment of the Cygnus spacecraft, which is timed for approximately T+plus 9 minutes.

Using a standardized form factor, children from middle school age to university students integrated sensor and transmitter hardware on the ThinSats with the support of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, Twiggs Space Lab, Northrop Grumman, and NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

Students from 70 schools in nine states contributed to the ThinSats launching today. The ThinSats, which are flying for the first time on today's mission, will measure parameters of the space environment before atmospheric drag slows them down and they re-enter the atmosphere around five to 10 days after launch.

The CubeSat that will separate from the Antares second stage in the same low-altitude orbit is named SASSI^2, short for the Student Aerothermal Spectrometer Satellite of Illinois and Indiana. SASSI^2 carries instruments from the University of Illinois and Purdue University to measure pressure, heat flux and spectral data as the CubeSat encounters aerodynamic resistance in the upper atmosphere before it burns up on re-entry.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118596781590364163)

Antares countdown has resumed from a planned built in hold. Fueling of RP-1 Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen will begin shortly.
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

Цитировать04/17/2019 22:28 Stephen Clark

Weather permitting, observers from Connecticut to North Carolina, and inland to Pennsylvania, could catch a glimpse of the Antares rocket as it soars southeast from Wallops Island, Virginia, en route to the International Space Station.

That viewing range includes New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Here's a map of potential viewing opportunities provided by Northrop Grumman.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2236642628404971360/20190417192846_831963.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2236642628404971360/20190417192846_831963.jpg)

Цитировать04/17/2019 22:31 Stephen Clark

Propellant has started pumping into the Antares rocket's first stage. About 21,000 gallons of RP-1, a high-refined rocket-grade kerosene, and about 41,000 gallons of liquid oxygen will be loaded into the first stage over the next half-hour.

The kerosene is stored at roughly room temperature and the liquid oxygen is chilled to around minus 298 degrees Fahrenheit. The oxygen will slowly boil off during the countdown, and liquid oxygen will continue flowing into the rocket until shortly before liftoff.

One change introduced by the Antares 230 rocket, which made its inaugural flight in 2016, is the elimination of "sub-cooled" liquid oxygen chilled and densified at minus 383 degrees Fahrenheit for the Antares rocket's old AJ26 engines. The RD-181s consume the oxidizer at its boiling point.

The first stage tanks are designed by Yuzhnoye and built by Yuzhmash in Ukraine based on heritage from the Zenit rocket. The liquid oxygen tank is positioned in the upper part of the 12.8-foot-diameter stage and the RP-1 tank is in the lower part of the stage.

The first stage's two RD-181 engines will consume the liquid propellant during a 3-minute, 35-second burn.

The Antares second stage, a Castor 30XL motor built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, is propelled by solid fuel already loaded into the rocket.

Цитировать04/17/2019 22:39 Stephen Clark

Gripper arms on the transporter-erector-launcher have opened, and the structure has moved to the so-called "pre-pullback" position in preparation for its retract at liftoff.

Цитировать04/17/2019 22:51 Stephen Clark

Low-flow loading of liquid oxygen into the first stage has begun, the launch team confirms.

Цитировать04/17/2019 22:53 Stephen Clark

The Antares' Gryo Compass guidance system is being aligned and configured for today's launch.

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:02 Stephen Clark

45 minutes until liftoff. The Cygnus spacecraft on this flight is carrying 3,162 kilograms, or 6,971 pounds, of supplies to the International Space Station. This is the eighth flight of the enlarged Cygnus pressurized cargo module from Thales Alenia Space, providing 25 percent more interior volume for supplies. The spacecraft measures about 20 feet tall, and the pressurized cargo module has a volume of about 27 cubic meters, or 950 cubic feet.

Here are some statistics on today's launch:

[/li]
• 10th Antares rocket launch
• 5th launch of the Antares 230 configuration
• 16th orbital launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport
• 12th launch of a Cygnus spacecraft
• 1st orbital launch from Wallops in 2019
• 7th orbital launch from U.S. soil in 2019
• 25th global orbital launch attempt in 2019
  

ЦитироватьPhotos: Ground crews load final cargo into Cygnus supply ship
April 17, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

Technicians working at launch pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia completed the final loading of cargo into Northrop Grumman's Cygnus supply ship late Tuesday, and the Antares rocket was raised vertical again in preparation for Wednesday's countdown.

Спойлер

Specialists removed the top of the Antares rocket's payload shroud and opened the forward hatch to the Cygnus spacecraft Tuesday evening to load time-sensitive cargo into the supply ship. This mission is the first time Northrop Grumman has introduced the new capability to install equipment into the cargo craft's pressurized module less than 24 hours before liftoff.

The items loaded Tuesday night included a habitat with 40 mice heading to the International Space Station to help researchers study how microgravity affects the animals' immune system.

With the work complete, ground crews closed the hatch and placed the top of the payload fairing back on the rocket, then raised Antares vertical early Wednesday morning.

Liftoff of the 139-foot-tall (42.5-meter) Antares rocket is set for 4:46:07 p.m. EDT (2046:07 GMT).

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145441.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145442.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145450.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145443.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145449.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145458.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145437.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118610116499124226)

The FTS (Flight Termination System) has been taken to internal power at this time.
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67530.jpg)Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1118611050444873730)

T-minus 23 minutes. Upper level winds are "go" for liftoff of the Antares rocket from Virginia's Eastern Shore at 4:46pm EDT (2046 GMT).

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:24 Stephen Clark

The Antares rocket's Transporter-Erector-Launcher, or TEL, is being armed for rapid retract at this time.

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:30 Stephen Clark

The Cygnus spacecraft, named the "S.S. Roger Chaffee," is switching to its internal battery power supply in preparation for liftoff. The supply ship is named for the late astronaut who perished in the Apollo 1 fire with crewmates Gus Grissom and Ed White.

"Given that Lt. Cmdr. Chaffee never made it into space, which was his dream, we decided to name this vehicle the S.S. Roger Chaffee in his honor," said Frank DeMauro, vice president of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems' space division. "It's something that's very special to us, and it's very special to his family, and to all of the team."

Members of the Chaffee family are present for today's launch from Wallops Island, according to Northrop Grumman.

"That's just something that makes this extra special, so we're looking forward to seeing them here," DeMauro said.

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:34 Stephen Clark

Launch conductor Adam Lewis just concluded his final prelaunch readiness poll. All stations gave a "go" for launch, with no problems reported that could prevent an on-time liftoff at 4:46:07 p.m. EDT (2046:07 GMT).

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:41 Stephen Clark

T-minus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The Antares rocket is confirmed on internal power.

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:50 Stephen Clark

T+plus 3 minutes, 45 seconds. First stage shutdown and separation confirmed. Coming up on jettison of the Antares rocket's interstage adapter and payload fairing

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:51 Stephen Clark

T+plus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. Castor 30XL ignition confirmed for a planned 2-minute, 42-second burn to place the Cygnus spacecraft into orbit.

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:52 Stephen Clark

T+plus 6 minutes. Altitude is nearly 200 kilometers, and velocity is passing 6 kilometers per second. The Castor 30XL second stage motor is performing as expected, good attitude and power systems reported.

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:53 Stephen Clark

T+plus 7 minutes, 15 seconds. Castor 30XL burnout. The Antares rocket should now be in orbit.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 13:53 PDT (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118618542771986433) - 17 апр. 2019 г.

Castor 30XL SHUTDOWN. Altitude 205 km.
#Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)

Цитировать04/17/2019 23:55 Stephen Clark

Cygnus separation confirmed! Northrop Grumman's commercial cargo carrier is now flying free from the Antares rocket, on the way to the International Space Station with nearly 7,600 pounds of supplies and experiments.

The supply ship is scheduled to unfurl its two fan-like solar arrays in the next two-and-a-half hours to begin charging batteries for the day-and-a-half trip to the space station.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 13:55 PDT (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1118619053638279168) - 17 апр. 2019 г.

Cygnus spacecraft SEPARATION!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 13:55 PDT (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118619003419807748) - 17 апр. 2019 г.

And we have spcecraft separation! Go #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash)!

ЦитироватьNG-11: Antares 230 launches S.S. Roger Chaffee Cygnus

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 17 апр. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 19 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118622019506061318)

The S.S. Roger Chaffee #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) is on its way to the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station). Rendezvous is scheduled for this Friday, April 19, with live coverage beginning on @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) TV at 4:00 a.m. EDT

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29925.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 29 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1118620171059564550)

That was the 10th Antares flight, the 9th successful Antares flight, and the 5th consecutive successful Antares flight.
#NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31566.jpg)Brady Kenniston‏ @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) 21 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1118622668209762305)

Liftoff of @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)'s #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) Cygnus spacecraft on its way to resupply the 6 astronauts aboard the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station)! View the full launch gallery and support NASASpaceflight by subscribing to L2: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2  (https://t.co/L6dqGrZmb6)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161090.jpg)
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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 18 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118624208412663808)

First photos of this afternoon's #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) launch of #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) from @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops)! Tag us in your photos so we can see them too (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png) #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67530.jpg)Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) 19 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1118623788533415936)

Here's a view of the Antares rocket's fiery liftoff as seen from the press site around 2 miles from the launch pad at Wallops Island, Virginia. ((https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125426.png): @nasahqphoto (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161096.jpg)

ЦитироватьВ США стартовала ракета-носитель Antares с грузом для МКС
Вчера, 23:56

ВАШИНГТОН, 17 апр – РИА Новости. Ракета-носитель Antares стартовала в Виргинии с кораблем Cygnus, который должен доставить груз для МКС, НАСА ведет прямую трансляцию запуска.

Старт ракеты-носителя был дан в 23:46 мск с космодрома Валлопс в Виргинии на восточном побережье США. Ракета-носитель и грузовой корабль принадлежат компании Northrop Grumman.

Запуск ракеты прошел в штатном режиме, первая ступень, оснащенная российскими двигателями RD-181, отделилась через три минуты после старта.

Грузовой корабль должен доставить на орбиту около 3,5 тонн груза. Его прибытие на орбиту ожидается 19 апреля. Помимо предметов первой необходимости для экипажа и оборудования для МКС на орбиту будут доставлены лабораторные мыши для научных экспериментов. Впервые полет в космос животные совершат на борту грузового корабля Cygnus.

Грузовой корабль должен оставаться на орбите до середины июля. После того как он покинет МКС, он будет оставаться на орбите до декабря, чтобы осуществить запуск мини-спутников и провести ряд научных экспериментов.

Цитировать18 АПР, 00:09
Ракета с грузовым кораблем Cygnus стартовала к МКС с площадки на Уоллопс-Айленд

Корабль доставит на Международную космическую станцию 3450 кг грузов

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 18 апреля. /ТАСС/. Ракета-носитель Antares с грузовым кораблем Cygnus стартовала в среду в 16:46 (23:46 мск) с пусковой площадки на Уоллопс-Айленд (штат Вирджиния). Трансляция запуска шла на сайте (https://www.nasa.gov/) NASA.

Корабль, построенный корпорацией Northrop Grumman, доставит на Международную космическую станцию (МКС) 3450 кг грузов - расходные материалы, необходимые для функционирования станции, а также научное оборудование. Корабль будет пристыкован к МКС вплоть до июля, когда будет отмечаться 50-я годовщина высадки американских астронавтов на Луну, затем отстыкуется от МКС и будет находиться на орбите вплоть до декабря, когда войдет в плотные слои атмосферы и прекратит существование.

В качестве дополнительной полезной нагрузки ракета-носитель выводит на орбиту два микроспутника - 3U Cubesat c аэротермическим спектрометром и Indiana Cubesat, созданный студентами Университета штата Индиана, а также 60 ThinSats - сверхминиатюрые спутники, построенные учащимися школ в девяти штатах. Спутники ThinSats будут находиться на орбите в течение пяти суток, и все это время школьники будут получать с них сигналы.

Грузовой корабль Cygnus стартует к МКС уже в 11-й раз. Он назван в честь астронавта NASA Роджера Чаффи, погибшего при испытаниях корабля Apollo 27 января 1967 года. Традиция давать имена кораблям в честь астронавтов существует в Northrop Grumman с 2014 года. Ранее корабли носили имена астронавтов Дэвида Лоу, Дженис Восс, Дика Слейтона, Рика Хасбанда, Алана Пойндекстера, Джона Гленна и Юджина Сернана. Грузовой корабль, состыковавшийся с МКС в ноябре прошлого года, носил имя Джона Янга, совершившего полеты на кораблях Gemini, Apollo и на космических кораблях многоразового использования Space Shuttle.

Нынешний полет корабля Roger Chaffee станет последним в рамках действующего контракта Northrop Grumman с NASA. В рамках нового контракта, который будет выполняться с осени, компания обязана будет доставить на МКС 20 т грузов в ходе шести полетов.

ЦитироватьЗапущенный к МКС американский грузовой корабль Cygnus вышел на околоземную орбиту
18.04.2019 0:09:46

Вашингтон. 17 апреля. ИНТЕРФАКС - Американский грузовой космический корабль Cygnus с грузами для экипажа Международной космической станции (МКС) в среду выведен на орбиту Земли ракетой-носителем Antares, сообщает Национальное управление по аэронавтике и исследованию космического пространства США (NASA).

Корабль Cygnus успешно отделился от второй ступени ракеты-носителя Antares и взял курс на МКС.

Стыковка корабля Cygnus с МКС запланирована на 19 апреля. Она будет осуществляться путем захвата грузовика дистанционной рукой-манипулятором Canadarm-2 МКС, которым будет управлять американский астронавт Энн Макклейн, и последующим присоединением грузового корабля к американскому сегменту станции - модулю Unity.

Как сообщалось, запуск ракеты-носителя Antares с грузовым кораблем Cygnus был осуществлен в 23:46 мск с космодрома Уоллопс, который размещается на одноименном острове у атлантического побережья американского штата Вирджиния.

Запуск осуществляется в рамках коммерческого контракта NASA с корпорацией Northrop Grumman, которой принадлежит ракета-носитель и автоматический грузовой космический корабль. Cygnus должен будет доставить на МКС около 3,5 тонн груза, в том числе продовольствие, а также оборудование и материалы для проведения десятков научных исследований.

Это уже 11-й полет американского космического грузовика данного типа к МКС. Был также еще один неудачный запуск в 2014 году, когда "грузовик" не долетел до станции вследствие аварии ракеты-носителя Antares. Первый запуск Cygnus состоялся 18 сентября 2013 года.

Корабль состоит из двух модулей цилиндрической формы: оборудованного солнечными батареями служебного модуля и герметичного грузового модуля.

Грузовой корабль будет находиться в составе МКС до 23 июля. Он заберет с собой со станции мусор и отходы. После расстыковки "грузовик" выведет на орбиту малые спутники.

Cygnus продолжит автономный полет до декабря, когда он будет сведен с орбиты и прекратит свое существование в акватории Тихого океана. Большая его часть сгорит в плотных слоях атмосферы Земли. В общей сложности полет "грузовика" продлится рекордные для этого типа кораблей восемь месяцев.

В настоящее время экипаж МКС состоит из российских космонавтов Олега Кононенко и Алексея Овчинина, американских астронавтов Энн Макклейн, Кристины Кох и Ника Хейга и канадского астронавта Давида Сен-Жака.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 36 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118637959220211712)

We had a beautiful launch of our #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash) rocket earlier this afternoon! #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) solar array deployment is up next with live coverage beginning on @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) TV at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
http://nasa.gov/live  (https://t.co/4b2icaB8cO) #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

Цитировать'Quick Look' Video of Antares Rocket Launch From NASA Wallops: April 17, 2019

NASAWallops (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiCvistzsGjOSixCrbba6jw)

Опубликовано: 17 апр. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьNASA TV Coverage Resumes for Cygnus Solar Array Deployment

Rob Garner (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/author/rcgarner/)
Posted Apr 17, 2019 at 7:19 pm

NASA Television has resumed live coverage for deployment of the Cygnus solar arrays. Northrop Grumman's cargo spacecraft lifted off on an Antares rocket fr om NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at 4:46 p.m. EDT April 17.

It will arrive at the International Space Station (http://www.nasa.gov/station) Friday morning carrying about 7,600 pounds of research investigations (https://images.nasa.gov/details-Northrop_Grumman_CRS-11_What's_On_Board.html) and equipment, cargo and supplies that will support some of the hundreds of investigations aboard the orbiting laboratory. The Cygnus spacecraft will be attached to the bottom of the station's Unity module, wh ere it will remain for about three months.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130995.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-012.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Chris Perry

A postlaunch press conference will take place at 8:15 p.m. on NASA Television and at nasa.gov/live (https://www.nasa.gov/live).

Participants:

Joel Montalbano, deputy manager, International Space Station Program
Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager, Space Systems, Northrop Grumman
Kurt Eberly, Antares vice president at Northrop Grumman

Among the science investigations: testing gels (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7881) in microgravity as models for growing increasingly complex materials, a new tool (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7393) to conduct life sciences research with just a few drops of blood, exploring Vascular Aging (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7644)and the effects of weightlessness on the blood vessels and heart, examining the effects of spaceflight on the function of antibody production (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7868), and immune memory, demonstrating the first two of three Astrobee (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891) robots, and a technology that tests a method to remove carbon dioxide (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/index.html) from air aboard the orbiting outpost.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 55 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1118664005579571201)

We have confirmed that our Ultraflex solar arrays are fully deployed on the NG-11 S.S. Roger Chaffee #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash). Next stop: @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station)!
#NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161098.jpg)

Цитировать04/18/2019 02:55 Stephen Clark

Ground controllers have confirmed both Cygnus solar array wings are deployed. Each of the UltraFlex arrays is circular in shape and has a diameter of 12.1 feet (3.7 meters).

ЦитироватьApril 17 Antares Launch Video, Photos

Rob Garner (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/author/rcgarner/)
Posted Apr 17, 2019 at 7:03 pm

NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html) launched its Antares rocket carrying its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17.

Спойлер

Loaded with 7,600 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, this is Northrop Grumman's 11th commercial resupply NASA-contracted mission. Antares lifted off from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home) on the state's Eastern Shore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kTkVsBO8mg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kTkVsBO8mg) (0:26)
Video credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Terry Zaperach

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130982.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/NHQ201904170003-1.jpg)
The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft on board, launches from Pad-0A, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman's 11th contracted cargo resupply mission for NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,600 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130983.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/NHQ201904170007.jpg)
The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft on board, is seen in this long exposure photograph as it launches from Pad-0A. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130988.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-001.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Allison Stancil

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130989.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-004.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Allison Stancil

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130990.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-006.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Jamie Adkins

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130991.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-007.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Jamie Adkins

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130992.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-009.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Jamie Adkins

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130993.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-010.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Allison Stancil

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130994.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-011.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Chris Perry

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130995.jpg) (https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/wp-content/uploads/sites/291/2019/04/WFF-2019-023-012.jpg)
Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility/Chris Perry

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185074.jpg)John Kraus‏ @johnkrausphotos (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1118664958424829952)

Seen from within the foliage outside Launch Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Northrup Grumman's Antares rocket launches the Cygnus resupply freighter, headed to the International Space Station, at 4:46pm ET. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125319.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125319.png) I seriously love this photo. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125623.png)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185074.jpg)John Kraus‏ @johnkrausphotos (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1118668212319739904)

Two RD-181 engines propel Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket and the Cygnus resupply freighter from Launch Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at 4:46pm ET!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161100.jpg)
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ЦитироватьCompany's Antares medium-class rocket launches its largest cargo load to date – S.S. Roger Chaffee to berth with the space station on April 19

 April 17, 2019

Dulles, Va. – April 17, 2019 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) successfully launched its AntaresTM rocket carrying a CygnusTM spacecraft today at 4:46 p.m. EDT from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A on Wallops Island, Virginia, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The launch marks Northrop Grumman's 11th cargo mission carrying supplies to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station for NASA.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/190740.jpg)
Northrop Grumman's Antares™ rocket launched the company's Cygnus™ spacecraft carrying about 7,600 pounds of cargo for the International Space Station on April 17, 2019.

"This launch marks a new innovative capability for Antares and Cygnus, which enables a 24-hour late load of critical cargo," said Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager, flight systems, Northrop Grumman. "We are proud to partner with NASA to provide more commercial capabilities supporting their missions. Congratulations to the entire team on an excellent launch."

The late cargo load capability provides NASA the opportunity to launch time-sensitive research experiments. For this launch, Northrop Grumman's Antares medium-class rocket used more of its performance margin, increasing the vital cargo carried aboard Cygnus to approximately 7,600 pounds (3,450 kilograms), a record shipment for the rocket.

Following an approximate nine-minute ascent, the Cygnus spacecraft was successfully deployed into orbit. Northrop Grumman engineering teams confirmed reliable communications have been established and the vehicle's solar arrays are fully deployed, providing the necessary electrical power to operate the spacecraft.

Following the release of Cygnus, Antares performed another new capability, deploying secondary satellites for science, technology, engineering and mathematics outreach programs. This included the NASA-sponsored 3U CubeSat called Student Aerothermal Spectrometer Satellite of Illinois and Indiana CubeSat (SASSI2) and 60 ThinSats sponsored by Virginia Space Flight Authority. These satellites were built by approximately 400 students in grades 4-12, from 70 schools located in nine states.

Спойлер

On this mission, the NG-11 spacecraft is named in honor of NASA astronaut, Roger Chaffee. Lt. Commander Chaffee, who was sel ected by NASA to fly on the first manned mission of the Apollo program in 1967, died in a tragic accident with fellow crewmates, Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Ed White II after a fire occurred in the space capsule during a simulation of the Apollo 1 launch. Unlike his crewmates, Chaffee had not yet traveled to space. As Cygnus represents Chaffee's ride to space, its important role of delivering critical cargo to astronauts aboard the International Space Station also honors Chaffee's dreams of human spaceflight.

"As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, this is a timely tribute to name Cygnus after Roger Chaffee, a respected pioneer of the Apollo program," said Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager, space systems division, Northrop Grumman. "In the spirit of Chaffee's role to advance the U.S. space program, we're also proud to demonstrate a number of innovative capabilities for our Cygnus spacecraft during this mission, including our ability to load cargo close to launch and our planned long duration flight which will take place when Cygnus leaves the International Space Station. These advanced capabilities allow Cygnus to maximize its potential for both the Space Station and commercial partners."

The S.S. Roger Chaffee is scheduled to be grappled by the crew aboard the International Space Station at approximately 5:30 a.m. EDT on April 19, 2019. The spacecraft will remain attached to the space station for about two months before departing with up to 7,700 pounds (approximately 3,500 kilograms) of disposal cargo. The removal of this disposable cargo is a crucial step in keeping the International Space Station operational.

Cygnus is also prepared to support the Slingshot Cubesat Deployer System, a flexible platform that can fly hosted payloads and CubeSats. This mission is the second flight for the Slingshot system which is scheduled to be installed onto the Cygnus spacecraft by NASA astronauts before the spacecraft departs the orbiting laboratory. An attached NanoRacks CubeSat deployer will also deploy three CubeSats after unberthing fr om the station. This is another example of Cygnus' expanded capabilities beyond its core cargo delivery function.

During the second phase of its mission, the S.S. Roger Chaffee will deploy the hosted CubeSats before demonstrating the ability to remain in orbit for an extended duration independent of the Space Station. While Cygnus performs this free flight it will maintain an undisturbed microgravity environment which could host a number of experiments and technology demonstrations in the future. Once this demonstration is complete, Cygnus will perform a safe and destructive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

Including NG-11, Northrop Grumman will have delivered approximately 66,000 pounds (30,000 kilograms) of cargo to the International Space Station under the CRS-1 contract. Beginning this fall, Northrop Grumman will carry out a minimum of six initial cargo missions under NASA's CRS-2 contract. The commercial resupply partnership with NASA is enhancing a robust American commercial space industry, freeing NASA to focus on developing the next-generation rocket and spacecraft that will enable humans to conduct deep space exploration missions.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com (http://news.northropgrumman.com/) and follow us on Twitter, @NGCNews (http://www.twitter.com/ngcnews), for more information.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31566.jpg)Brady Kenniston‏ @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) 28 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1118672769846214656)

Two more views of the gorgeous Antares #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) liftoff today at 4:46pm EDT! View the full launch gallery and support NASASpaceflight by subscribing to L2: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2  (https://t.co/L6dqGrZmb6)

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ЦитироватьApril 18, 2019
RELEASE 19-031

Northrop Grumman Heads to Space Station with New NASA Science, Cargo

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207648.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/antares_launch_190417.jpg)
The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft onboard, launches from Pad-0A, Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman's 11th contracted cargo resupply mission for NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,600 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station (http://www.nasa.gov/station) with about 7,600 pounds of science investigations (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/NG-CRS-11-Research/) and cargo after launching at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The spacecraft launched on an Antares 230 Rocket from the Virginia Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A at Wallops and is scheduled to arrive at the orbiting laboratory around 5:30 a.m. Friday, April 19. Coverage of the spacecraft's approach and arrival will begin at 4 a.m. on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live).

Expedition 59 astronauts Anne McClain (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/anne-c-mcclain) of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will use the space station's robotic arm to capture Cygnus, while NASA's Nick Hague (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tyler-nick-hague) monitors telemetry. The spacecraft will stay at the space station until July.

This delivery, Northrop Grumman's 11th cargo flight to the space station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract, will support dozens of new and existing investigations. Here are details about some of the scientific investigations Cygnus is delivering to the space station:

Спойлер

Models for growing increasingly complex materials
Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7881)) will test gels in a microgravity environment. This research could aid in the development of increasingly complex materials that may serve as the building blocks for a range of applications on Earth including foods, drugs, and electronic devices. The process also may provide an efficient method to build new materials and equipment in space.

Better life science research in a few drops
Although the space station is well equipped for health and life sciences research, the equipment available for cellular and molecular biology still is limited compared to capabilities found in laboratories on Earth. To address this limitation, CSA designed Bio-Analyzer (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7393), a new tool the size of a video game console that astronauts on station easily can use to test body fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine, with just a few drops. It returns key analyses, such as blood cell counts, in just two to three hours, eliminating the need to freeze and store samples.

Analyzing aging of the arteries in astronauts
The Vascular Aging (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7644) investigation uses ultrasounds, blood samples, oral glucose tolerance tests, and wearable sensors to study aging-like changes that occur in many astronauts during their stay on the space station. It's one of three Canadian experiments (http://asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/vascular.asp) exploring the effects of weightlessness on the blood vessels and heart, and the links between these effects and bone health, blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation exposure. Increased understanding of these mechanisms can be used to address vascular aging in both astronauts and the aging Earth population.

Testing immune response in space
Spaceflight is known to have a dramatic influence on an astronaut's immune response, but there is little research on its effect following an actual challenge to the body's immune system. The rodent immune system closely parallels that of humans, and Rodent Research-12 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7868): Tetanus Antibody Response by B cells in Space (TARBIS) will examine the effects of spaceflight on the function of antibody production and immune memory. This investigation aims to advance the development of measures to counter these effects and help maintain crew health during future long-duration space missions. On Earth, it could advance research to improve the effectiveness of vaccines and therapies for treating diseases and cancers.

Big buzz for new robot
A fleet of small robots is set to take on big jobs aboard the space station. Building on the success of SPHERES (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=303), NASA will test Astrobee (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891), a robotic system comprised of three cube-shaped robots and a docking station for recharging; the first two are aboard Cygnus. The free-flying robots use electric fans for propulsion and cameras and sensors help them navigate their surroundings. The robots also have an arm to grasp station handrails or grab and hold items. Astrobee can operate in automated mode or under remote control from the ground as it assists with routine chores on station, and requires no supervision from the crew. This has the potential to free up astronauts to conduct more research.

These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html) that will help us learn how to keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration beyond low-Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars (https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars). Space station research also provides opportunities for other U.S. government agencies, private industry, and academic and research institutions, to conduct microgravity research that leads to new technologies, medical treatments, and products that improve life on Earth.

For more than 18 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth that will enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space. A global endeavor, more than 230 people from 18 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 2,500 research investigations from researchers in 106 countries.

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Last Updated: April 18, 2019
Editor: Karen Northon

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31566.jpg)Brady Kenniston‏ @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) 44 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1118669184446226434)

Liftoff of Antares powered by two RD-181 engines! This shot is so sharp you can read the Cyrillic! View the full launch gallery and support NASASpaceflight by subscribing to L2: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2  (https://t.co/L6dqGrZmb6)

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Цитировать05:21, 18 апреля 2019
Американский грузовик привезет на МКС копченую индейку и мясо зубра

Москва. 18 апреля. INTERFAX.RU - Запущенный на орбиту американский грузовой космический корабль Cygnus доставит членам экипажа Международной космической станции (МКС) разнообразный ассортимент блюд, сообщает в четверг Национальное управление по аэронавтике и исследованию космического пространства США (NASA).

В частности, перед предстоящим празднованием католической Пасхи американский "грузовик" привезет экипажу копченую индейку, свиные отбивные, спаржу и фруктовый пирог. Канадское космическое агентство, чей астронавт - Давид Сен-Жак находится в составе экипажа МКС, также направило с кораблем целый ряд своих блюд. Среди них - копченый лосось, печенье с кленовым сиропом, ризотто с грибами и сыром, а также чили с мясом зубра, приготовленное по семейному рецепту канадского астронавта.

Всего с кораблем на МКС отправлено около 800 комплектов космического питания.

Спойлер

Как сообщалось, Cygnus был выведен на орбиту в среду ракетой-носителем Antares, стартовавшей в 23:46 по московскому времени с космодрома Уоллопс, который размещается на одноименном острове у атлантического побережья американского штата Вирджиния.

Стыковку корабля Cygnus с МКС планируется осуществить 19 апреля в 05:30 по восточноамериканскому времени (12:30 по Москве). Она будет совершена путем захвата грузовика дистанционной рукой-манипулятором Canadarm-2 МКС, которым будет управлять американский астронавт Энн Макклейн, и последующим присоединением грузового корабля к американскому сегменту станции - модулю Unity.

Запуск осуществлен в рамках коммерческого контракта NASA с корпорацией Northrop Grumman, которой принадлежит ракета-носитель и автоматический грузовой космический корабль. Cygnus должен будет доставить на МКС около 3,5 тонн груза, в том числе продовольствие, а также оборудование и материалы для проведения десятков научных исследований.

В настоящее время экипаж МКС состоит из российских космонавтов Олега Кононенко и Алексея Овчинина, американских астронавтов Энн Макклейн, Кристины Кох и Ника Хейга и канадского астронавта Давида Сен-Жака.

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ЦитироватьPost launch Status Briefing for Northrup Grumman Mission to Space Station

NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 17 апр. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьU.S. Commercial Cargo Ship Heads to the International Space Station

NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 17 апр. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185070.jpg) Trevor Mahlmann‏ @TrevorMahlmann (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann) 14 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann/status/1118669945389420544)

Speed and power coming from an RD-181 lofting #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) to the 6 astronauts living aboard the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125603.png)settings/(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125629.png)downloads/(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125463.png)prints: https://www.tmahlmann.com/photos/Rockets/Northrop-Grumman/NG-11/ ... (https://t.co/PxsdHw4dTZ)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1118867335610273793)

The Cygnus cargo ship S.S. Roger Chaffee now tracked in 285 x 380 km x 51.6 deg orbit as catalog 44188. No data yet for the Antares rocket stage, SASSI2, or the ThinSats.

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 4/17/2019

Northrop Grumman 11 (NG-11) Launch/Berth:
NG-11 launched successfully today at 3:46 PM CT from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Over the next two days, S.S. Rodger Chaffee will perform a series of phasing burns to rendezvous with ISS. Vehicle capture is planned for Friday, April 19, at 4:30 AM CT.

JEMAL (JEM Airlock) Configuration:
The crew removed the Airlock Adapter Plate (JCAP) and RRM3 interface plate (STRIP) from the JEMAL slide table and installed it on the JEM Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) Transfer Interface (JOTI) in preparation for Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) Transfer Tray (MTT) activities. The MISSE-11 rotation cycle was launched on NG-11. A total of 349 samples/devices will be hosted on the MISSE facility during the MISSE-11 mission. The samples consist of radiation protection, radiation detection, laminates, coatings, polymetric, high-efficiency low-mass solar cell systems, composites, and additively-manufactured materials, all exposed to the low-Earth orbit space environment.

NG-11 Arrival Preparations:
In preparation for NG-11 arrival this Friday, today the crew completed the following activities:

[/li]
• Equipment gathering of the Centerline Berthing Camera System (CBCS) and equipment needed to outfit the Node 1 Nadir vestibule for NG-11 berthing.
• The second NG-11 robotics training session utilizing the Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT), an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback.
• A conference with ground teams to discuss NG-11 cargo transfer details.
  

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1118915958691680256)

Set your alarms. Cygnus NG-11 berthing on Friday is around 05:30 EDT!

"The story so far":

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/04/antares-cygnus-final-crs1-contract-flight-new-capabilities/ ... (https://t.co/WMiqtns9kh)

- by @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF)

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ЦитироватьCrew Prepares for Arrival of Science-Packed Cargo Ship

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 18, 2019 at 10:20 am

The Cygnus space freighter is on orbit today and refining its approach to the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html) following its launch fr om Virginia Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Expedition 59 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html) crew is juggling a variety of science and maintenance activities today before Friday morning's space shipment arrives.

Astronaut Anne McClain (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/anne-c-mcclain), with Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques (http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/bio-david-saint-jacques.asp) as her back up, will capture Cygnus with the Canadarm2 robotic arm (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html) around 5:30 a.m. Friday. Ground controllers will take over afterward and remotely install Cygnus to the Unity module wh ere it will stay until the end of July.

Cygnus is packed with about 7,600 pounds of science, supplies and crew hardware to replenish the orbital lab. Among its science payloads are mice (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7868), free-flying robots (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7393) and a host of other experiments and research gear (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/NG-CRS-11-Research). The astronauts set up hardware today that will house the rodents and enable research into how the immune system responds to microgravity. The crew will also test the ability of tiny, autonomous robots to provide assistance with routine space chores and lab monitoring.
...

ЦитироватьAntares rocket boosts Cygnus supply ship toward International Space Station
April 18, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

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Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket lifts off fr om Wallops Island, Virginia. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

A commercial Cygnus cargo freighter packed with 3.8 tons of medical and pharmaceutical experiments, technology demonstration hardware, CubeSats, food and supplies rode an Antares rocket into orbit fr om Virginia's Eastern Shore on Wednesday afternoon on the first leg of a day-and-a-half journey to the International Space Station.

The 139-foot-tall (42.5-meter) Antares rocket lit two Russian-made kerosene-fueled RD-181 main engines and climbed away from launch pad 0A at Wallops Island, Virginia, at 4:46:07 p.m. EDT (2046:07 GMT) Wednesday after a smooth countdown.

The two-stage launcher quickly rose from the launch pad overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, clearing four lightning masts within seconds as the first stage's hydraulic steering system engaged to direct the rocket toward the southeast, aligning with the flight path of the space station.

The twin-engine first stage generated 864,000 pounds of thrust at full power and fired for 3 minutes, 35 seconds, before shutting down and dropping away to fall into the Atlantic. After a brief coast, the Antares rocket's solid-fueled second stage ignited to send the Cygnus supply ship into orbit.

Northrop Grumman's telemetry commentator confirmed an on-target separation of the 15,940-pound (7,230-kilogram) Cygnus spacecraft around nine minutes after liftoff, and officials declared the launch a success.

"Beautiful day, a fantastic launch," said Joel Montalbano, NASA's deputy program manager for the International Space Station. "It's great to have another cargo vehicle on its way to the International Space Station."

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145461.jpg)
The Antares rocket lifts off Wednesday from Virginia's Eastern Shore. Credit: Northrop Grumman

In a first, the Antares rocket carried 63 tiny student-built "ThinSats" as secondary payloads on the second stage. Strung together in groups of three or six, the ThinSats are each about the size of a slice of bread, containing solar cells to produce power, data transmitters and sensors to measure parameters such as temperatures and pressures.

The Antares upper stage deployed the ThinSats a few minutes after the Cygnus spacecraft — the mission's primary payload — separated from the rocket.

Using a standardized form factor, children from middle school age to university students integrated sensor and transmitter hardware on the ThinSats with the support of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, Twiggs Space Lab, Northrop Grumman, and NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

"My whole passion in the industry and in academia is kids' education," said Bob Twiggs, co-inventor of the CubeSat and the ThinSat. "I got really turned on by being able to do something in space, and if you can get these kids turned on, boy, you've got to step out of the road, or they're going to run right over the top of you.

"So doing something like this at a cost that you can get down into the elementary schools ... I think is really great."

Students from 70 schools in nine states contributed to the ThinSats launched Wednesday. Officials said they received telemetry signals from 43 of the ThinSats by Wednesday night, and more data was expected overnight into Thursday.

The ThinSats launched into an orbit with a perigee, or low point, of 125 miles (201 kilometers). At that altitude, aerodynamic drag will quickly cause the tiny spacecraft to fall back into the atmosphere and burn up, likely within five or 10 days. The quick decay alleviates concerns that the miniature satellites, which may be too small to be accurately tracked via radar, could pose an orbital debris hazard.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145518.jpg)
The ThinSats are powered by solar cells provided by Alta Devices. Credit: Alta Devices

A slightly larger spacecraft, or CubeSat, named SASSI^2 separated from the Antares rocket's upper stage with the ThinSats. Short for the Student Aerothermal Spectrometer Satellite of Illinois and Indiana, SASSI^2 carries instruments from the University of Illinois and Purdue University to measure pressure, heat flux and spectral data as the CubeSat encounters aerodynamic resistance in the upper atmosphere before it burns up on re-entry.

The Cygnus spacecraft activated its communications, propulsion and guidance and navigation systems moments after deploying from the Antares rocket, according to Frank DeMauro, vice president of Northrop Grumman's space division.

The cargo freighter completed two orbit-raising burns shortly after separation from the Antares second stage, putting the spacecraft on course to arrive at the space station early Friday. The Cygnus also unfurled its two fan-shaped solar arrays to begin generating power, DeMauro said in a post-launch press conference.

The craft completed the two initial orbit-raising maneuvers autonomously using the supply ship's on-board navigation computer, demonstrating a new capability that enables the Cygnus to reach the space station in a little more than 36 hours, instead of the more standard two or three days.

"We're going from launch to being on the ISS in about a day-and-a-half, and one of the things that enables us to get there so quickly is those targeted altitude burns," DeMauro said.

Using position fixes from GPS satellites and laser ranging data, the Cygnus supply ship will fly on autopilot during the final phase of Friday's rendezvous with the space station. The spacecraft should be in a capture position around 30 feet (10 meters) below the station by 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT), when astronaut Anne McClain will use the Canadian-built robotic arm to grapple the Cygnus cargo freighter, which Northrop Grumman christened the "S.S. Roger Chaffee" in honor of the astronaut who perished with Gus Grissom and Ed White in the Apollo 1 fire in 1967.

The robot arm will place the Cygnus on the Earth-facing berthing port of the station's Unity module, wh ere the spacecraft will remain for around three months, allowing the station astronauts to unload equipment from its pressurized cabin, and replace the cargo with trash for disposal.

The Cygnus mission launched Wednesday, designated NG-11, carries 7,575 pounds (3,436 kilograms) of cargo, including new flying robots that could help astronauts with chores on the space station, medical experiments, and 40 mice to be studied by astronauts and researchers to examine how their immune systems cope with the conditions of spaceflight.

Around 6,971 pounds (3,162 kilograms) of food, crew provisions and science experiments are inside the Cygnus spacecraft's cargo module, built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy, according NASA's tally. The rest of the mission's cargo load is mounted outside the spacecraft, wh ere a NanoRacks CubeSat deployer will release three small nanosatellites after the supply ship departs the space station.

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File photo of a Cygnus supply ship departing the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman's 10th cargo mission Feb. 8. Credit: NASA

After release from the station's robotic arm in July, the cargo craft will boost itself into a higher orbit for deployment of the CubeSats, similar to maneuvers accomplished by previous Cygnus missions. But instead of commanding the spacecraft to plunge back into the atmosphere for a destructive re-entry, Northrop Grumman ground controllers will oversee months of additional in-orbit experiments.

A package of four control moment gyroscopes is installed aboard the Cygnus spacecraft for the extended mission experiment. Using momentum to manage the spacecraft's pointing, or attitude, the four spinning gyroscopes will reduce the Cygnus spacecraft's consumption of liquid propellants, which feed thrusters normally used to change the supply ship's orientation.

The innovation will allow the Cygnus spacecraft to remain in orbit for up to a year. Cygnus missions have previously lasted no more than three or four months.

"We'll use the control moment gyros to control the spacecraft attitude, as opposed to fuel," DeMauro said in an interview with Spaceflight Now before Wednesday's launch.

Northrop Grumman officials previously said the extended mission demo could last a year, but DeMauro said the mission's duration will depend on when engineers accomplish all their objectives.

"How long we go really will depend on when we achieve our goals for the extended mission (demonstration)," DeMauro said.

"We want to accomplish a couple of things," he said. "First, we want to show how the spacecraft works with the CMGs (control moment gyroscopes) and demonstrate that our platform can use CMGs — not only our platform but other Northrop Grumman spacecraft platforms.

"The second thing we want to do is show that the avionics can run for extended period of time," DeMauro said. "We've typically run them for several months as we've gone through testing, and then in orbit they run for three to four months, depending on how long we're in orbit. This time, we want to demonstrate an even longer period of time that the computers run error-free, and that the attitude control system works just as expected."

The control moment gyroscopes were built by Honeywell, using new miniaturized technology that could be used on future small satellites.

Northrop Grumman wants to keep the NG-11 Cygnus spacecraft in orbit through the launch of the company's next resupply mission to the space station, designated NG-12, currently scheduled for October.

Officials want to offer future Cygnus spacecraft as a hosting platform for science and technology experiments after it leaves the space station. DeMauro said the Cygnus spacecraft provides a smooth microgravity environment for research in orbit, even better than the space station, which has disturbances from the movement of crew members and other external influences. The use of gyroscopes will make for more pristine microgravity conditions, eliminating impulses from thruster firings to change the ship's orientation.

"The idea is that for future missions, we can outfit Cygnus to have the extended duration, and then after we complete the primary mission, offer this extended duration to either the government or commercial entities," DeMauro said in an interview Tuesday with Spaceflight Now. "We want to give them enough time in orbit that isn't restricted by when the next mission goes up, so having the ability to fly two Cygnus (spacecraft) in orbit at the same time is critical."

Like past Cygnus missions, the spacecraft will re-enter the atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean once the extended duration demonstration is complete.

The NG-11 mission is the last Cygnus flight under Northrop Grumman's first cargo transportation contract with NASA, a deal originally signed in 2008 now worth $2.89 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office. The company has a follow-on Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-2, contract for at least six additional Cygnus missions through 2024, beginning with the NG-12 mission later this year.

"Our push is to offer NASA increased science capability on each mission," DeMauro said.

For the first time on the NG-11 mission, ground teams at Wallops loaded time-sensitive cargo into the Cygnus spacecraft at the launch pad less than 24 hours before liftoff. Northrop Grumman developed a new Mobile Payload Processing Facility, or clean room, to place over the Antares rocket's payload shroud after the launcher was lowered back to a horizontal position following preliminary pre-launch checkouts.

Technicians removed the top of the payload fairing, known as the "pop-top," and opened the Cygnus hatch to allow teams to load the enclosure containing the rodent research experiment, along with a bio-analyzer experiment and other items. The NG-11 mission marks the first time a rodent research payload has flown aboard a Cygnus supply ship, following multiple missions on SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule.

The NG-11 launch Wednesday also debuted a new navigation system on the Antares rocket, ahead of additional launcher upgrades coming with the first CRS-2 mission later this year.

Engineers will beef up the Antares rocket's structure for the next mission to allow the first stage's twin RD-181 engines to remain at full throttle as the launcher flies through the most extreme period of aerodynamic pressure, or Max-Q, after liftoff. The engines are currently throttled back to around 55 percent power to ease the passage through Max-Q.

Northrop Grumman is also removing some unnecessary insulation from the inside of the Castor 30XL upper stage's motor casing, and switching from a three-piece fairing adapter to a lighter single-piece structure. Future Antares rockets will also fly with two fewer helium pressurization bottles in the first stage. Data from previous launches indicated the rocket does not need the extra helium bottles.

The RD-181 engines will also launch without heat exchangers, which are designed to heat helium gas in flight. Northrop Grumman officials say the heat exchangers are not used by the Antares rocket.

The upgrade rocket will be known as the Antares 230+.

The changes will increase the mass of payloads the Antares rocket can loft into orbit by up to 1,763 pounds (800 kilograms), according to Kurt Eberly, vice president of the Antares program at Northrop Grumman.

"That will enable us to pack even more cargo into the cargo modules," DeMauro said. "We've made some more modifications to be able to pack it more efficiently. That will be able to give us another 10 percent or so more cargo in the same volume."

The Cygnus team has taken a step-by-step approach with upgrades since the spacecraft's inaugural mission.

Since the Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft's first missions in 2013, engineers from Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems — previously known as Orbital Sciences and Orbital ATK — have introduced a larger Thales-built cargo module and debuted new RD-181 engines for the Antares first stage. Officials replaced the Antares rocket's original AJ26 first stage engines after one of the powerplants failed on a 2014 launch, destroying a Cygnus spacecraft heading for the space station and damaging the launch pad at Wallops Island.

DeMauro said the expanded performance and longer lifetime of the newest generation of Cygnus supply ships positions the spacecraft for more demanding missions in the future, including flights into deep space to support NASA's plans to build a mini-space station called the Gateway in lunar orbit, with a goal set by the Trump administration of landing astronauts on the moon as soon as 2024.

"Going out to cislunar space will be a little bit different," DeMauro said. "So we've looked at the avionics upgrades required for the higher radiation environment, different communications systems, docking versus berthing systems."

Northrop Grumman has a NASA contract to develop a habitat concept based on the Cygnus design, which could be attached to NASA's Gateway around the moon to provide living quarters for astronauts. Lunar landers could be staged at the Gateway for trips to and from the moon's surface.

"We think we're in a good place to offer NASA a proven, yet upgraded technology suite on a Cygnus-class vehicle to provide all sorts of services out in cislunar space, whether it's habitats, logistics services, science and utilization services, as well as even power and propulsion systems out there. Cygnus is a stepping stone from that point of view," DeMauro said.

"We can even expand that further and be part of the system to put people on the moon itself," DeMauro said.

Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp., which was purchased by Northrop Corp. in 1994 to form Northrop Grumman, built the Apollo lunar landers.

"If you look at that expertise, and you combine it with our expertise with Cygnus, we know there is a lot of capability out there that we're going to take advantage of," DeMauro said. "So we have every expectation that we're going to play a large role, not only in supporting crew that goes out to the moon, but being able to design, build and deliver something that actually brings people down to the moon, so we're so excited about that future."

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ЦитироватьExpedition 59 Northrop Grumman Cygnus 11 Solar Array Deployment April 17, 2019

NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 18 апр. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьNorthrop Grumman Cygnus CRS 11 Launch April 17, 2019

NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 18 апр. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьNASA TV Broadcasts Friday Arrival of U.S. Resupply Ship to Station

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 18, 2019 at 4:47 pm

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/131659.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QV7pwo)
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter with its prominent cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm in November of 2018.

A Northrop Grumman cargo ship carrying about 7,600 pounds of science and research (https://images.nasa.gov/details-Northrop_Grumman_CRS-11_What's_On_Board.html) investigations, supplies, and hardware is set to arrive to the International Space Station (http://www.nasa.gov/station) early Friday morning. The uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft launched (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/northrop-grumman-heads-to-space-station-with-new-nasa-science-cargo) at 4:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 17 on an Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

When Cygnus, dubbed the S.S. Roger Chaffee, arrives to the space station on Friday, April 19, Expedition 59 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html) Flight Engineer Anne McClain will use the space station's robotic arm to take hold of the spacecraft at about 5:30 a.m. Fellow crew member David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency will assist McClain. NASA astronaut Nick Hague will monitor Cygnus systems during its approach for capture. After Cygnus' capture, ground controllers will command the station's arm to rotate and install it on the bottom of the station's Unity module for a three-month stay.

Live coverage will begin on NASA TV at 4 a.m. and return to the air at 7 a.m. for installation coverage. Watch at www.nasa.gov/live (http://www.nasa.gov/live)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 26 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1119028048987394048)

Northrop Grumman confirms all 60 ThinSats and 1 NASA-sponsored 3U CubeSat (SAFFI2) deployed as planned from the Castor 30XL upper stage of #Antares (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antares?src=hash).
#Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) #NG11 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NG11?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) #VirginiaSpace (https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginiaSpace?src=hash)

ЦитироватьNASA TV Coverage Begins of U.S. Cygnus Craft Approaching Station

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 19, 2019 at 4:03 am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/131666.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2etua3h)
Expedition 59 Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA uses the robotics workstation inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module to practice Canadarm2 robotics maneuvers and Cygnus spacecraft capture techniques.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 59 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html) Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA will capture the spacecraft assisted by David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, who will monitor Cygnus systems during its approach for capture. They will use the space station's robotic arm to take hold of the Cygnus, dubbed the S.S. Roger Chaffee. After Cygnus' capture, ground controllers will command the station's arm to rotate and install it on the bottom of the station's Unity module.

NASA Television coverage of capture has begun. Watch live online at www.nasa.gov/live (http://www.nasa.gov/live)

A timeline of remaining Cygnus and space station activities for the earliest capture attempt is below:

[TH]Time (EDT)[/TH][TH]   [/TH][TH]Event[/TH]

4:14 a.m.		Cygnus within 300m of Space Station
4:21 a.m.		250m Hold Point Arrival
4:36 a.m.		250m Hold Point Departure
4:47 a.m.		Cygnus within 100 meters of Space Station
5:00 a.m.		30 meters Hold Point Arrival
5:05 a.m.		Earliest "Go" for Capture
5:19 a.m.		Capture Point Arrival
5:24 a.m.		"Go" or "No-Go" for Capture
5:30 a.m.		Capture

Цитировать04/19/2019 11:32 Stephen Clark

The Cygnus spacecraft is currently holding around 250 meters, or 820 feet, beneath the International Space Station. This pause allows mission controllers to evaluate the status of all key systems on both vehicles before clearing Cygnus to approach inside the "keep out sphere," an imaginary bubble stretching 200 meters, or 656 feet, fr om the complex on all sides.

The last major course correction burn, known as ADV3, was completed less than an ago to put Cygnus on track to arrive directly below the space station.

The Cygnus spacecraft is making its automated approach aided by GPS navigation and laser instruments designed to determine the range and closing rate between the cargo ship and the huge 450-ton space station.

The Cygnus first relied on comparing GPS navigation data from its on-board computer and the space station.

After arriving at the hold point about 820 feet directly below the space station, Cygnus will switch to a TriDAR sensor, which uses triangulation and fires light pulses and measures their reflections from the space station to measure the range and closing rate between the two vehicles.

The laser-guided visual navigation system feeds data into the Cygnus guidance computer, telling the spacecraft when and wh ere to fire its rocket jets to maneuver the unmanned freighter to a point 30 feet below the space station.

Once Cygnus arrives at a hold point just below the complex around 5:22 a.m. EDT (0922 GMT), astronaut Anne McClain will take control of the lab's robot arm to reach out and grapple the free-floating Cygnus spacecraft at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT).

The robot arm will maneuver the Cygnus spacecraft onto the Unity module's Earth-facing berthing port about two hours later.

Цитировать04/19/2019 11:40 Stephen Clark

The Cygnus spacecraft, fitted with a pressurized cargo compartment built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy containing around 3,162 kilograms, or 6,971 pounds, of supplies, is moving toward a hold point 30 meters, or 98 feet, from the space station.


04/19/2019 11:41 Stephen Clark

Range is now 200 meters, or about 656 feet.

Цитировать04/19/2019 11:50 Stephen Clark

The Cygnus spacecraft is now about 90 meters, or 295 feet, from the space station.

Цитировать04/19/2019 12:03 Stephen Clark

Cygnus is now holding at a distance of 30 meters, or 98 feet, from the International Space Station. This hold is expected to last around 10 minutes.

Цитировать04/19/2019 12:12 Stephen Clark

Cygnus has resumed its approach toward the capture point roughly 33 feet, or 10 meters, below the space station.

Цитировать04/19/2019 12:21 Stephen Clark

Cygnus has arrived at the capture point around 30 feet (10 meters) below the space station.

Цитировать04/19/2019 12:21
Stephen Clark Stephen Clark

Mission control just gave the station crew a "go" to capture Cygnus. The robotic arm will be put into mission shortly.

Цитировать04/19/2019 12:25
Stephen Clark Stephen Clark

The robotic arm is in motion to capture Cygnus. Astronaut Anne McClain is controlling the arm for this morning's operation.

Цитировать04/19/2019 12:28 Capture confirmed Stephen Clark

Capture confirmed! The Cygnus spacecraft is now in the grasp of the International Space Station's robotic arm after a manual grapple under the control of astronaut Anne McClain.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 02:31 PDT (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1119171559174832128) - 19 апр. 2019 г.

Capture confirmed! @AstroAnnimal (https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal) aboard the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) successfully captured the NG-11 S.S. Roger Chaffe #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft this morning at 5:28 a.m. EDT. #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160978.jpg)


(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184924.jpg)Intl. Space Station‏Подлинная учетная запись @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) 02:37 PDT (https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1119173053257097216) - 19 апр. 2019 г.

At 5:28am ET today @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) astronaut @AstroAnnimal (https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal) used the Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple the @NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) Cygnus spacecraft backed up by @CSA_ASC (https://twitter.com/csa_asc) astronaut @Astro_DavidS (https://twitter.com/Astro_DavidS)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 40 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1119171246716071936)

CAPTURE CONFIRMED. Cygnus NG-11 has been grabbed by the SSRMS.

ARTICLE:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/04/ng-11-cygnus-brings-science-iss/ ... (https://t.co/0Jjzc7PXm4)

- by Chris Gebhardt (@ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF))

ЦитироватьNASA NG-11 mission | Coverage of rendezvous of Cygnus spacecraft at ISS

space googlevesaire (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Iv92nZE21XWt0B1ZTCd6Q)

Опубликовано: 19 апр. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьAstronaut Commands Robotic Arm to Capture Cygnus Cargo Craft

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 19, 2019 at 5:32 am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/131674.jpg)
The Cygnus spacecraft from Northrop Grumman approaches the International Space Station for a robotic capture

At 5:28 a.m. EDT, Expedition 59 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html) Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA used the International Space Station's robotic Canadarm2 to grapple the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency monitored Cygnus systems during its approach. Next, ground controllers will command the station's arm to rotate and install Cygnus, dubbed the S.S. Roger Chaffee, on the bottom of the station's Unity module.

The station was flying over northeast France at an altitude of 254 miles when it was captured.

NASA Television coverage of installation will begin at 7 a.m., and installation of the Cygnus spacecraft to the space station is expected to be completed later this morning. Cygnus will remain at the orbiting laboratory for a three-month stay.

Цитировать12:35, 19 апреля 2019
Экипаж МКС захватил космический грузовик Cygnus рукой-манипулятором

Москва. 19 апреля. INTERFAX.RU - Экипаж Международной космической станции (МКС) с помощью дистанционной руки-манипулятора успешно захватил подлетевший к ней американский грузовик Cygnus, сообщило в пятницу НАСА.

По данным Центра управления полетами НАСА в Хьюстоне, захват "грузовика" с помощью 17-метрового манипулятора Canadarm-2, которым управляла американский астронавт Энн Макклейн, произошел в 12:28 по Москве. После этого корабль начали подводить к американскому сегменту станции - модулю Unity - для последующей стыковки.

Спойлер

Cygnus везет на МКС около 3,5 тонн груза, в том числе продовольствие, а также оборудование и материалы для проведения десятков научных исследований.

Как сообщалось, грузовой корабль был выведен на орбиту ракетой-носителя Antares, стартовавшей в среду в 23:46 мск с космодрома Уоллопс, который размещается на одноименном острове у атлантического побережья американского штата Вирджиния.

Запуск осуществлен в рамках коммерческого контракта NASA с корпорацией Northrop Grumman, которой принадлежит ракета-носитель и автоматический грузовой космический корабль.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 04:33 PDT (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1119202401486102528) - 19 апр. 2019 г.

First and Second Stage capture complete. NG-11 Cygnus is berthed to the ISS Node 1.

ЦитироватьCygnus Cargo Craft Attached to Station Until July

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Apr 19, 2019 at 7:34 am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/131676.jpg)
April 19, 2019: International Space Station Configuration. Five spaceships are docked at the space station including Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter and Russia's Progress 71 and 72 resupply ships and the Soyuz MS-11 and MS-12 crew ships.

After its capture this morning at 5:28 a.m. EDT, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was bolted into place on the International Space Station's Earth-facing port of the Unity module at 7:31 a.m. At the time of installation, Cygnus was flying 255 miles above the Indian Ocean just south of Singapore.

Cygnus will remain at the space station until July 23, when the spacecraft will depart the station, deploy NanoRacks customer CubeSats, then have an extended mission of nine months before it will dispose of several tons of trash during a fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

The spacecraft's arrival brings close to 7,600 pounds of research and supplies to space station. Highlights of NASA-sponsored research to advance exploration goals and enable future missions to the Moon and Mars include:

Спойлер

Models for growing increasingly complex materials

Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10) will test gels in a microgravity environment. This research could aid in the development of increasingly complex materials that may serve as the building blocks for a range of applications on Earth including foods, drugs, and electronic devices. The process also may provide an efficient method to build new materials and equipment in space.

Better life science research in a few drops

Although the space station is well equipped for health and life sciences research, the equipment available for cellular and molecular biology still is limited compared to capabilities found in laboratories on Earth. To address this limitation, CSA designed Bio-Analyzer, a new tool the size of a video game console that astronauts on station easily can use to test body fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine, with just a few drops. It returns key analyses, such as blood cell counts, in just two to three hours, eliminating the need to freeze and store samples.

Analyzing aging of the arteries in astronauts

The Vascular Aging investigation uses ultrasounds, blood samples, oral glucose tolerance tests, and wearable sensors to study aging-like changes that occur in many astronauts during their stay on the space station. It's one of three Canadian experiments exploring the effects of weightlessness on the blood vessels and heart, and the links between these effects and bone health, blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation exposure. Increased understanding of these mechanisms can be used to address vascular aging in both astronauts and the aging Earth population.

Testing immune response in space

Spaceflight is known to have a dramatic influence on an astronaut's immune response, but there is little research on its effect following an actual challenge to the body's immune system. The rodent immune system closely parallels that of humans, and Rodent Research-12: Tetanus Antibody Response by B cells in Space (TARBIS) will examine the effects of spaceflight on the function of antibody production and immune memory. This investigation aims to advance the development of measures to counter these effects and help maintain crew health during future long-duration space missions. On Earth, it could advance research to improve the effectiveness of vaccines and therapies for treating diseases and cancers.

Big buzz for new robot

A fleet of small robots is set to take on big jobs aboard the space station. Building on the success of SPHERES, NASA will test Astrobee, a robotic system comprised of three cube-shaped robots and a docking station for recharging; the first two are aboard Cygnus. The free-flying robots use electric fans for propulsion and cameras and sensors help them navigate their surroundings. The robots also have an arm to grasp station handrails or grab and hold items. Astrobee can operate in automated mode or under remote control from the ground as it assists with routine chores on station, and requires no supervision from the crew. This has the potential to free up astronauts to conduct more research.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьNG-11: SS Roger Chaffee Cygnus berthing

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 19 апр. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg)Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 13 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1119205944242655232)

The S.S. Roger Chaffee #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) successfully completed its rendezvous and berthing maneuvers with the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) this morning, with final installation occurring at 7:31 a.m. EDT #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

Цитировать14:38, 19 апреля 2019
Американский грузовик Cygnus доставил на МКС еду и оборудование

Москва. 19 апреля. INTERFAX.RU - Выведенный на орбиту Земли американский грузовой космический корабль Cygnus в пятницу успешно состыковался с Международной космической станцией (МКС), сообщили в НАСА.

По данным Центра управления полетами НАСА в Хьюстоне, операция по стыковке Cygnus с американским сегментом станции - модулем Unity была завершена в 14:31 по московскому времени. Перед этим сблизившийся с МКС корабль в 12:28 по московскому времени был захвачен с помощью 17-метрового манипулятора Canadarm-2, которым управляла американский астронавт Энн Макклейн. Последующая подводка "грузовика" дистанционной рукой-манипулятором к МКС и сам процесс стыковки осуществлялся по командам с Земли.

Спойлер

Cygnus доставил на МКС около 3,5 тонн груза, в том числе продовольствие, а также оборудование и материалы для проведения десятков научных исследований.

Как сообщалось, грузовой корабль был выведен на орбиту ракетой-носителем Antares, стартовавшей в среду в 23:46 по Москве с космодрома Уоллопс, который размещается на одноименном острове у атлантического побережья американского штата Вирджиния.

Запуск прошел по коммерческому контракту НАСА с корпорацией Northrop Grumman, которой принадлежит ракета-носитель и автоматический грузовой космический корабль.

Это уже 11-й полет американского космического грузовика данного типа к МКС. Был также еще один неудачный запуск в 2014 году, когда "грузовик" не долетел до станции вследствие аварии ракеты-носителя Antares. Первый запуск Cygnus состоялся 18 сентября 2013 года.

Корабль состоит из двух модулей цилиндрической формы: оборудованного солнечными батареями служебного модуля и герметичного грузового модуля.

Cygnus будет находиться в составе МКС до 23 июля. Он заберет с собой со станции мусор и отходы. После расстыковки "грузовик" выведет на орбиту малые спутники.

Cygnus продолжит автономный полет до декабря, когда он будет сведен с орбиты и прекратит свое существование в акватории Тихого океана. Большая его часть сгорит в плотных слоях атмосферы Земли. В общей сложности полет "грузовика" продлится рекордные для этого типа кораблей восемь месяцев.

Экипаж МКС состоит из российских космонавтов Олега Кононенко и Алексея Овчинина, американских астронавтов Энн Макклейн, Кристины Кох и Ника Хейга и канадского астронавта Давида Сен-Жака.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185747.jpg)Christina H Koch‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro_Christina (https://twitter.com/Astro_Christina) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Astro_Christina/status/1119213251643027456)

Cygnus captured! Congratulations to the team and @AstroAnnimal (https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal) for a job well done. Next step, mission control operates the arm to berth Cygnus to the docking port.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160976.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160977.jpg)

ЦитироватьNorthrop Grumman's Cygnus Spacecraft Successfully Completes Rendezvous and Berthing with International Space Station

"S.S. Roger Chaffee" delivers approximately 7,600 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory
April 19, 2019

Dulles, Va. – April 19, 2019 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC)  today announced that the "S.S. Roger Chaffee" Cygnus™ spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and berthing maneuvers with the International Space Station earlier this morning. The mission marks the company's 11th successful berthing with the orbiting laboratory.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/190741.jpg)
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft approaches the International Space Station for a robotic capture. Credit: NASA TV

Cygnus launched aboard a Northrop Grumman Antares™ rocket on April 17, 2019 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A on Wallops Island, Virginia. As the spacecraft approached the space station, Cygnus executed a series of thruster burns to raise its orbit. Once the spacecraft was in close range, crew members on board the space station grappled the spacecraft with the station's robotic arm at 5:30 a.m. EDT. Cygnus was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the station's Unity module and officially installed on to the space station at 7:31 a.m. EDT.

Спойлер

"Our arrival at the space station as the 'S.S. Roger Chaffee' marks a proud moment for the NASA and Northrop Grumman teams," said Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager, space systems, Northrop Grumman. "As we deliver critical supplies and cargo to the astronauts aboard the space station, we are inspired by Lt. Commander Chaffee's courage and commitment to the human exploration of space. The Cygnus spacecraft represents his planned journey to space in memory of those who took great risks to advance our nation's space program."

Astronaut Roger Chaffee and his crewmates, Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Ed White II, all died in a tragic accident after a fire occurred in the space capsule during a simulation of the Apollo 1 launch in 1967. While his crewmates had flown to space on previous missions, Chaffee had not yet traveled to space. The naming of Cygnus in honor of his memory recognizes his legacy and valued contributions to human spaceflight.

Cygnus arrived at the space station with nearly 7,600 pounds (approximately 3,450 kilograms) of cargo, supplies and scientific experiments. The crew is now scheduled to open Cygnus' hatch and make initial ingress into the cargo module to begin unloading the pressurized cargo. Cygnus will remain docked at the station for approximately three months before departing on secondary missions.

Once Cygnus departs the station, the spacecraft will begin a secondary mission to deploy CubeSats for two commercial customers. Cygnus will reposition to deploy three CubeSats using a NanoRacks deployer in the Company's seventh commercial mission. The Slingshot CubeSat Deployer system is also on board and marking its second mission on a Cygnus spacecraft. Slingshot is a flexible platform that can fly hosted payloads and CubeSats. The system is scheduled to be installed by astronauts while Cygnus is docked to the station in preparation for another round of CubeSat deployments during the next phase of its mission.

After the CubeSats are deployed, Cygnus will remain in orbit for an extended duration mission, an achievement marking a "first" for the spacecraft as it demonstrates capabilities beyond cargo supply and disposal. This newest innovation showcases Cygnus as a future testbed for various types of hosted payload missions. Upon completion of its secondary missions, Cygnus will perform a safe, destructive reentry into Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184840.jpg)David Saint-Jacques‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro_DavidS (https://twitter.com/Astro_DavidS) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Astro_DavidS/status/1119220035837485057)

Canadarm2 berthing the Cygnus cargo spacecraft after capture this morning!
//
Canadarm2 amarre le vaisseau-cargo Cygnus après sa capture ce matin!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160980.jpg)

ЦитироватьNASA ScienceCasts: A Chip Off the Old Block

ScienceAtNASA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKt6dYzHqHfpcp1lgj4bl1A)

Опубликовано: 18 апр. 2019 г.

Living 3D versions of human organs called Tissue Chips are being sent to the International Space Station to be studied in microgravity.

ЦитироватьSpace to Ground: Marathon Mission: 04/19/2019

NASA Johnson (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmheCYT4HlbFi943lpH009Q)

Опубликовано: 19 апр. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьCygnus supply ship delivers 3.8-ton cargo load to International Space Station
April 19, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145479.jpg)
The Cygnus spacecraft, christened the S.S. Roger Chaffee, is in the firm grasp of the space station's Canadian-built robotic arm Friday after arrival. Credit: David Saint-Jacques/CSA/NASA

NASA flight engineer Anne McClain grappled Northrop Grumman's Cygnus supply ship with the International Space Station's robotic arm Friday, marking the automated cargo freighter's arrival after an abbreviated day-and-a-half-long journey fr om a launch pad in Virginia with nearly 7,600 pounds of experiments, food and provisions.

Commanding the Canadian-built robot arm fr om a control station in the cupola module, McClain guided the arm's end effector over a grapple pin on the rear end of the Cygnus spaceship as the cargo craft held steady roughly 30 feet (10 meters) below the complex. Mission control in Houston declared a successful capture of Cygnus at 5:28 a.m. EDT (0928 GMT) as the station sailed 258 miles (415 kilometers) over northeastern France.

Northrop Grumman christened the Cygnus the S.S. Roger Chaffee, after the late astronaut who perished in the Apollo 1 fire in 1967 alongside Gus Grissom and Ed White.

"It's to have the S.S. Roger Chaffee officially on-board, and we look forward to working with the over 7,000 pounds of cargo for the next few months," McClain radioed moments after the capture of Cygnus.

Engineers on the ground later took over the arm, which launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour 19 years ago Friday, to place Cygnus on a berthing port on the nadir, or Earth-facing side of the station's Unity module, where a series of latches and bolts closed to create a firm connection at 7:31 a.m. EDT (1131 GMT).

Friday's arrival marked the end of a shorter-than-usual rendezvous profile for the Cygnus spacecraft following its launch fr om Wallops Island, Virginia, on Wednesday aboard an Antares rocket. Northrop Grumman modified the Cygnus flight plan to include a pair of automated altitude boost burns shortly after separation fr om the Antares launcher, giving the supply ship a head start on the way to the space station.

Спойлер

The change is one of several new upgrades and features on this Cygnus mission, the 11th and last resupply flight by Northrop Grumman under the company's $2.89 billion cargo transportation contract with NASA signed in 2008. Northrop Grumman has a follow-on contract with NASA for at least six additional Cygnus missions beginning in October.

Under the second contract, Northrop Grumman will provide expanded cargo capacity to NASA, including the ability to load time-sensitive equipment into the ship's pressurized module less than 24 hours before launch, and the revamped rendezvous profile to get to the station faster. Officials rehearsed the new procedures on this mission, designated NG-11.

On the next Cygnus mission, the Antares rocket's main engines will fly at higher throttle settings, allowing the mission to carry up to 10 percent more cargo.

The station astronauts planned to open hatches leading to the Cygnus spacecraft's internal cabin later Friday to begin unpacking the equipment inside, which includes a carrier containing 40 mice for researchers to study their immune systems in space by examining their bodies' response to tetanus vaccinations. The rodents and their habitat were loaded into the Cygnus supply ship the night before launch, the first time mice have rode a Cygnus mission to the space station.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145450.jpg)
Engineers load the final cargo into the Cygnus spacecraft Tuesday night, the day before launch from Wallops Island, Virginia. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Two remotely-operated Astrobee robots developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in California were also delivered to the space station Friday. The battery-powered cube-shaped robots will maneuver through the space station's internal volume to perform inspections and assist crew members in their work, replacing NASA's three aging SPHERES robots that have been on the station since 2006.

"We're replacing them with the Astrobee, so we've built in a lot of features in the Astrobee to actually facilitate research," said Maria Bualat, Astrobee's project manager and deputy lead of the intelligent robotics group at Ames. "One is that there are multiple payload bay ... So we have these open areas on the robot wh ere you can plug in, both at the top and bottom, payloads very easily."

In the last few years, the SPHERES robots have conducted experiments investigating sloshing of liquids inside space vehicles and the robotic capture of space debris. Like SPHERES, the Astrobee robots will allow researchers to demonstrate new capabilities in a controlled pressurized environment inside the space station.

"It can be used for science and technology development," Bualat said. "So it can carry other payloads that we want to test in microgravity but it can also be used as a tool by ground controllers. So we can use the camera to do video surveys or to observe crew activities, so that the ground can be actually ready to answer any questions the crew might have in a complex activity, and they also don't have to take crew time to move the camera. So if the camera happens to be placed badly ... they can actually just fly the camera to another location.

"The other thing we can do is we can carry other instruments," she said. "We can carry sensors for environmental understanding, so for instance CO2 sensors to understand the concentrations, we can carry radiation sensors, we also can carry RFID readers that can do inventories and find lost tools or lost equipment that we're not sure wh ere it is. We can actually fly the robot around and look for equipment needed for other experiments. In that way, we don't have to have the crew looking for a needed piece of equipment."

The Astrobee robot will use vision-based navigation — comparing what it sees to a pre-loaded map of the station — to know wh ere it is on the space station, according to Bualat. A propulsion module using air intakes and nozzles will provide the impulse needed to fly around the space station, and a docking port is available to connect to each robot for battery charging.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145510.jpg)
Roberto Carlino, electronics and integration engineer at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley conducts acoustics testing in an anechoic chamber at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. The test measures the noise level of Astrobee when the robot is docked and when the robot activates its fan-based propulsion system to undock. Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center/Robert Markowitz

"It pulls air in through a circular central fan, which lightly pressurizes the propulsion module, and then there are six nozzles on each side — so 12 total — that open and close, and that is how the robot moves around station," Bualat said.

A third Astrobee robot is expected fly on a SpaceX cargo mission to the station later this year.

Other hardware carried by the Cygnus spacecraft includes a device designed to manufacture optical fibers in orbit. The Space Fibers facility, developed by a San Diego company named FOMS, will help engineers determine the effectiveness and quality of optical fibers manufactured in microgravity.

FOMS is one of two companies, along with Made in Space, seeking to manufacture optical fibers on the space station. Officials from both companies believe a blend of materials called ZBLAN — which stands for zirconium, barium, lanthanum, sodium and aluminum — can be assembled into optical fibers in microgravity with higher quality than traditional silica-based fibers used on Earth.

"The immediate opportunities for these fibers are in remote sensing and defense applications, but there is a wide market opportunity for telecom applications as well," said Dmitry Starodubov, chief scientist for the Space Fibers facility from FOMS Inc.

Eleven CubeSats developed by students and startup companies also rode to the station inside the Cygnus cargo module. The astronauts will take the CubeSats to the station's Japanese Kibo lab module, wh ere they will be installed on a deployer for transfer through Kibo's airlock and release into orbit from the robot arm.

The CubeSats launched inside Cygnus for deployment from the space station include:

[/li]
• EntrySat was developed by the ISAE-SUPAERO aeronautics and space institute in France with support from CNES, the French space agency. The 3U CubeSat, about the size of a loaf of bread, was built by French students and will use position, pressure, temperature and heat flux sensors to study re-entry of orbital debris, according to CNES.
• IOD-1 GEMS is the first in-orbit demonstration 3U CubeSat for a Global Environmental Monitoring System constellation planned by Orbital Micro Systems, a Colorado-based company with a major data center in Scotland. The IOD-1 GEMS nanosatellite is funded by Innovate UK, and will gather and transmit atmospheric observation data. It is the first of Orbital Micro Systems' planned fleet of 48 CubeSats to collect global microwave radiation data for weather forecasting.
• KRAKSat, developed by students at the University of Science and Technology and Jagiellonian University in Poland, will test the viability of a ferrofluid flywheel to control the nanosatellite's orientation in space. "A torus, surrounded by eight electromagnets, and placed inside a ferrofluid is a main part of our experiment," the KRAKSat team wrote in a mission summary. "By changing magnetic field, we accelerate the ferrofluid, causing its spinning motion. The result of this movement should be the rotation of the satellite in the opposite direction."
• Swiatowid is a technology demonstration satellite developed by SatRevolution S.A., a Polish startup company. The 2U CubeSat carries a telescope and an "industry-quality" camera sensor to demonstrate high-resolution imaging from low Earth orbit using small satellites. Swiatowid is designed to collect imagery with a ground sample distance of 3 meters, or about 10 feet, and the team aims to improve that to 1 meter (3 feet) on future missions.
• The Virginia CubeSat Constellation mission consists of three 1U CubeSats, each a bit larger than a Rubik's cube, developed by Virginia undergraduate students at the University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech and Hampton University. Named Aeternitas, Cetes and Libertas, the CubeSats will measure the orbital decay of a constellation of small satellites and develops a database of atmospheric drag and the variability of atmospheric properties, according to NASA.
• Uguisu, Raavana 1, and NepaliSat 1 are 1U CubeSats developed by student and research teams in Japan, Sri Lanka and Nepal under the auspices of the international Birds program.
• SpooQy 1, developed at the National University of Singapore, will demonstrate quantum entanglement with a CubeSat for the first time.
  

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145516.jpg)
The Swiatowid spacecraft. Credit: SatRevolution S.A.

The Cygnus spacecraft also delivered the equivalent of more than 800 meals to the space station, according to NASA. The meals include smoked turkey, pork chops, shrimp cocktail, and desserts such as cherry cobbler, chocolate pudding and lemon cake.

The S.S. Roger Chaffee's pressurized cargo module, built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy, is packed with 6,971 pounds (3,162 kilograms) of supplies and experiments. Here's a breakdown of the cargo manifest provided by NASA:

[/li]
• 3,459 pounds (1,569 kilograms) of science investigations
• 2,065 pounds (936 kilograms) of crew supplies
• 1,384 pounds (628 kilograms) of vehicle hardware
• 77 pounds (35 kilograms) of Northrop Grumman hardware
• 53 pounds (24 kilograms) of spacewalk equipment
• 10 pounds (5 kilograms) of computer resources
  

More than 500 pounds of additional payload hardware is affixed outside the Cygnus spacecraft to support CubeSat deployments after departing the space station, bringing the total payload complement on NG-11 to 7,575 pounds (3,436 kilograms).

The Cygnus supply ship is expected to remain berthed at the International Space Station's Unity module until July 23, when it will be released by the station's robotic arm with several tons of trash for disposal.

Northrop Grumman's ground team in Dulles, Virginia, will send the Cygnus spacecraft into a higher orbit for deployment of several more CubeSats from a NanoRacks module and a Slingshot mechanism.

One of the CubeSats to be released after Cygnus' departure from the space station is named Seeker. Developed at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, with a camera system provided by engineers at the University of Texas at Austin, Seeker will perform an inspection of the Cygnus spacecraft to demonstrate in-space navigation and imaging capabilities that could be used on future missions in deep space.

Two AeroCube 10 nanosatellites from the Aerospace Corp. will also separate from Cygnus to conduct experiments in satellite-to-satellite pointing, evaluate the use of a water-based stream thruster, and release 29 tiny atmospheric probes to measure air density in low Earth orbit.

Northrop Grumman plans several months of long-duration spaceflight experiments (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/16/northrop-grumman-introducing-new-capabilities-on-cygnus-cargo-craft/) using the Cygnus spacecraft after release of the CubeSats. Four miniaturized control moment gyroscopes are flying on the cargo freighter for the first time, and engineers will assess their performance in controlling the spacecraft's pointing without consuming rocket fuel.

Ground teams also want to evaluate how the Cygnus spacecraft's avionics function on a long-duration mission, and Northrop Grumman plans to demonstrate dual Cygnus operations for the first time after the launch of the company's next resupply mission later this year.

Like all previous Cygnus missions, the spacecraft will burn up during re-entry over the Pacific Ocean once the extended mission demonstration is complete.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьCygnus CRS 11 Rendezvous and Capture - April 19, 2019

NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 19 апр. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьCygnus CRS 11 Installation to the ISS - April 19, 2019

NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 19 апр. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1119354385920864261)

Still no Antares rocket stage TLEs. I'm worried it may have reentered already without being cataloged, which would be annoying.

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 4/19/2019

Northrop Grumman 11 (NG-11):
The crew successfully captured Cygnus with the Space Station Remote Manipulation System (SSRMS) today at 4:28AM CT. Once captured, they handed off control of the SSRMS to ground Robotics Controllers who then maneuvered the vehicle to the Node 1 Nadir (N1N) Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) interface where it was securely bolted to the ISS. Once the CBM bolting operations were complete, the crew and ground teams worked together to perform Node 1 CBM vestibule pressurization followed by hatch opening and ingress at 11:08 AM CT; NG-11 brings approximately 3426 kg of cargo to ISS.

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 4/22/2019

Northrop Grumman 11 (NG-11) Cygnus Cargo Operations:
After Friday's successful berthing of NG-11, the crew ingressed the vehicle and started unloading cargo; since then, the crew has completed approximately 17 hours of cargo operations. Ground teams estimate ~20 hours of cargo operations remain to completely unload the vehicle of the newly arrived equipment and science.

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 4/23/2019

Northrop Grumman 11 (NG-11) Cygnus Cargo Operations:
The crew continued with NG-11 cargo ops today, having completed approximately 23 hours of cargo operations since berthing on Friday. Ground teams estimate ~14 hours of cargo operations remain to completely unload the vehicle of the newly arrived equipment and science.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67619.png)T.S. Kelso‏ @TSKelso (https://twitter.com/TSKelso) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1121148598425493504)

CelesTrak has a TLE for another object from the CYGNUS NG-11 launch. It's in a 188 x 230 km orbit.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/160894.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 37 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1121227624607571968)

Finally, a new object cataloged from the Antares launch, after a week in orbit: 44206 is in a 191 x 228 km orbit. Probably the second stage, or maybe the SASSI-2 cubesat.


36 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1121227831202201600)

What would be nice is if now that it's identified, they would post retrospective TLEs from earlier tracking data, but they almost never do that alas.

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 4/24/2019

Cygnus Cargo Transfer Operations:
The crew has completed approximately 28 hours of cargo transfer activities. Approximately 13 hours remain to be completed.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185290.jpg)Thierry Legault‏ @ThierryLegault (https://twitter.com/ThierryLegault) 21 апр. (https://twitter.com/ThierryLegault/status/1119909051427688450)

I got the Cygnus NG-11 resupply cargo on Friday during a solar transit, at the precise moment of grapple by the articulated arm of the ISS (9:28UTC). They were flying over northern France at 28000km/h. The transit lasted 0.8s. #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash) #InternationalSpaceStation (https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalSpaceStation?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161044.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29726.jpg)Joseph Remis‏ @jremis (https://twitter.com/jremis) 14 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/jremis/status/1121512810456989696)

Obj. 44206 CYGNUS NG-11 ANTARES R/B decay prediction: April 28, 2019 UTC 12h30mn ± 20h

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161153.jpg)

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 4/25/2019

Northrop Grumman 11 (NG-11) Cygnus Cargo Operations:
The crew completed Cygnus Cargo Message #2 yesterday afternoon. Approximately 32 hours of cargo operations have been performed. The next cargo message, which will be ready late next week, will direct the crew to begin loading items for disposal for Cygnus unberth in July.

ЦитироватьSpace to Ground: Extreme Exposure: 04/26/2019

NASA Johnson (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmheCYT4HlbFi943lpH009Q)

Опубликовано: 26 апр. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 18 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1122694945209487360)

The Antares rocket stage from the NG-11 launch reentered over the Pacific at 1330 UTC Apr 28. Still no word on SASSI-2 and the ThinSats, which may also have reentered by now

ЦитироватьSpaceflight to Launch Multiple Spacecraft fr om International Space Station via Cygnus

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/191728.jpg) (https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SEOPS_patch.jpg)
SEOPS Mission Patch

Spaceflight has announced that it is providing mission management and rideshare integration services on an upcoming launch from the International Space Station (ISS) and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus launch vehicle. Spaceflight bought the capacity through an arrangement with Hypergiant SEOPS for a variety of customer spacecraft, including: RFTSat from Northwest Nazarene University; selected for flight via NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative; NARSSCube-2 from NARSS-Egypt developed by researchers from NARSS-Egypt for technology demonstration and environmental study; launch was coordinated by Smart Integrators and an undisclosed 6U Cubesat

In a unique arrangement, the spacecraft will be arriving at the ISS through an ISS Cargo Resupply Mission aboard via a SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in late July. Spaceflight has named the mission SEOPS-1, but it is also referred to as ISS SpX18/NG11, representing the launch vehicles meeting at the ISS (a SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon and a Northop Grumman Antares Cygnus).

"We are always looking for creative and innovative ways to get our customers' spacecraft in orbit, and our partnership with Hypergiant SEOPS helps us deliver on this promise," said Curt Blake, CEO of Spaceflight. "The rideshare campaign is a low schedule risk option because of the regular cadence of ISS Cargo Resupply Missions and the maturity of the Dragon/Falcon 9 and Cygnus/Antares launch systems. We're looking forward to commissioning more of these types of missions in the future."

The Cygnus vehicle is already docked at the ISS, following its launch on April 17, 2019 and landing on April 19, 2019. During the weeks following the arrival of the Dragon capsule in late July which will carry the rideshare customers' spacecraft, the ISS crew will transfer the cargo from the Dragon to the ISS, wh ere they will place the SEOPS SlingShot Deployer with the installed satellites into the SlingShot hardware attached to the Cygnus hatch bulkhead. After the ISS side-hatch is closed and the space between the ISS and Cygnus spacecraft depressurized, the ISS robotic arm will unberth the Cygnus from the ISS. Cygnus will then manoeuvre itself to a higher orbit (450-500 km altitude, 51.6-degree inclination) to deploy the satellites and conduct more tests.

SEOPS brings a wealth of experience to the mission, with personnel who have been responsible for deploying more than 200 small satellites from the ISS and Cygnus spacecraft since 2012. The team was responsible for the development, construction, qualification, safety and integration of these satellites through the NASA Human Space Program, one of the most demanding government qualification programs for spaceflight. In February 2019, SEOPS successfully completed the deployment using the SlingShot deployer from NG-10 – Cygnus.

"Our focus is on improving the Earth-to-Space experience for all customers whether it's through our ability to use machine learning and AI to interpret complex data, or in improving the ability of our customers to get to space when they want, how they want," said Chad Brinkley, Chief Space Officer at Hypergiant. "Spaceflight has been an integral partner in continuing to provide the best-in-class experience for our customers."

ЦитироватьSEOPS MISSION PREVIEW
By Hilary Meyerson
JULY 10, 2019

Spaceflight is all about getting to space, in the most cost effective and reliable way. That's why we're so excited about our upcoming SEOPS-1 mission. This will be a ground breaker in several ways. We'll be launching six cubesats for three different customers, using two different launch vehicles, the International Space Station and several intrepid astronauts.

The International Space Station (ISS) uses two vehicles for resupplying the astronauts: Northrup Grumman's Cygnus, which launches on their Antares launch vehicle, and SpaceX's Dragon Capsule, which launches using their Falcon 9. Both Cygnus and Dragon berth with the ISS and offload supplies and experiments.  After completing its on-station mission, Dragon is deberthed fr om the ISS, it re-enters and returns back to Earth for reuse. Cygnus is loaded with trash and disposables from the ISS, is deberthed, conducts extended mission operations, and ultimately deorbits and  burns up in the atmosphere. For this mission, during the extended mission operations of Cygnus it will serve as a deployment platform for our customers' cubesats.
Here's how it will work: 

[/li]
• The Cygnus was launched on April 17, 2019 and is currently berthed with the ISS. In mid-July, the Dragon will launch aboard the Falcon 9 in late July and will also berth with the ISS. They will be berth mates for about a week. Besides the astronaut supplies and experiments, the Dragon will also have our customers' cubesats and a unique Slingshot Deployment system on board.
  

[/li]
• The astronauts will unpack their supplies and pull the cubesats and dispensers from the cargo transfer bags. One of our spacecraft is packaged in a CTB with snacks for the astronauts, so we're sure it will get careful handling! They will then re-pack the Cygnus with the ISS refuse and some other experiments, and close the hatch. Then they will install the Slingshot dispenser rails and cubesat dispensers on the outside of the Cygnus.
  

[/li]
• When installation is complete, the Cygnus will deberth after the dispenser installation and will raise up to a 500km orbit, using its propulsion system. Engineers on the ground will initiate the deployment sequence, and our customers' cubesats will be deployed.
  

[/li]
• After that, the Cygnus will allow its final experiments to run. Once complete, the Cygnus' mission is done, and it will use its propulsion one last time to push back to the atmosphere wh ere it will burn up.
  

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/218746.jpg)

This innovative mission has several advantages for our customers. First and foremost, it is cost effective as it is using capacity that is already there. Our customers are "hitching a ride" on some of the most reliable launches out there – resupply missions that are already scheduled and will be going regardless of commercial payloads. Also, these launches have a reliable and consistent schedule, allowing our customers to get on orbit faster. We have several more SEOPS launches planned and look forward to taking many more customers to space via the ISS resupply missions.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/218745.jpg)
At the ISS, the SEOPS SlingShot Deployer with the installed satellites will be attached to the Cygnus hatch bulkhead.

ЦитироватьAug. 1, 2019
MEDIA ADVISORY M19-078

NASA Television to Broadcast Space Station Departure of Cygnus Cargo Ship

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207575.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/47616261882_4bb534d293_k.jpg)
The Canadarm2 robotic arm is positioned to grapple the Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo craft as it approaches its capture point with the International Space Station orbiting 255 miles above the Atlantic Ocean. Highlighting the foreground is the Soyuz MS-12 crew ship docked to the Rassvet module.
Credits: NASA

More than three months after delivering several tons of supplies and scientific experiments to the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo spacecraft, the SS Roger Chaffee, will depart the orbiting laboratory Tuesday, Aug. 6.

Live coverage of the craft's release will air on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live) beginning at noon EDT, with release scheduled for 12:15 p.m.

Expedition 60 Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Christina Koch of NASA will use the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to release Cygnus after ground controllers remotely unbolt the craft from the Earth-facing port of the Unity module and maneuver it into release position.

Within 24 hours of its release, Cygnus will begin its secondary mission, deploying a series of CubeSats. Once at a safe distance away from station, two deployment systems – one provided by NanoRacks and the other by Hypergiant SEOPS (Satellite, Extraterrestrial Operations and Procedures) – will begin deploying the small satellites. After about a month of free-flight operations, NASA's Seeker Robotic External CubeSat Inspection Vehicle (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7600) will be deployed and operations will begin to demonstrate its ability to maneuver around Cygnus and take high-resolution photos. Seeker will transmit those images to its Kenobi receiver inside Cygnus for storage and transmission to the ground at a later date.

Cygnus also will demonstrate a Control Moment Gyroscope attitude control system and perform operations for the UbiquitiLink (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7844) payload during the secondary mission. Cygnus will remain in orbit until later this year to demonstrate Northrop Grumman's ability to fly two Cygnus spacecraft simultaneously and support payloads on the cargo craft for extended durations.

-end-

Last Updated: Aug. 1, 2019
Editor: Katherine Brown

Цитировать3-D Bioprinting, Grip Studies on Station May Benefit Earth and Space Systems

Norah Moran (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/nfmoran/)
Posted Aug 2, 2019 at 12:28 pm

... A U.S. space freighter will begin its secondary mission after it departs the station on Tuesday.
...
Hague and Koch are ... training for next week's robotic release of the Cygnus space freighter (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2019/04/19/cygnus-cargo-craft-attached-to-station-until-july/) after 109 days in space. Cygnus will depart the station Tuesday and eject a set of CubeSats for space research after it reaches a safe distance from the station. The commercial cargo craft will orbit Earth for a few months of systems tests and nanosatellite deployments before its fiery, but safe atmospheric destruction above the Pacific Ocean.
...

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 8/02/2019

SlingShot:

The crew installed SlingShot Controller inside the NG-11 vehicle in preparation for SlingShot Deployer installation. NG-11 will host the second mission for Slingshot, which is planned to deploy four satellites. In addition to the deployed satellites, one payload will remain attached to Slingshot.  SlingShot is a small satellite deployment system that fits inside the Cygnus spacecraft's Passive Common Berthing Mechanism (PCBM). SlingShot can accommodate up to 18 satellites that are deployed post Cygnus unberth.

Cygnus Robotics Onboard Trainer (RoBOT):

In preparation for NG-11 release, the crew performed a session of RoBOT training during which they practiced three release runs. Cygnus departure is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 6.

ЦитироватьUS Cargo Ship Preps to Depart as Crew Studies Bioprinting and Time Perception

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Aug 5, 2019 at 1:33 pm

A U.S. resupply ship is packed and ready to depart the International Space Station (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html) on Tuesday. ...

NASA astronauts Nick Hague (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tyler-nick-hague) and Christina Koch (https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch) finished loading and closed the hatches to the Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman today. Hague will lead the robotics activities and command its release from the Canadarm2 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html) on Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. EDT. NASA TV (https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html) begins its live broadcast of Cygnus' departure at noon after 109 days at the station.

The crew outfitted Cygnus with the SlingShot Deployer (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/slingshot-small-satellite-deployment-test) that will eject a series of nanosatellites once the spacecraft reaches a safe distance and a higher altitude from the station. Cygnus will continue orbiting Earth for a few more months of systems tests before it reenters the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean for a fiery demise.
...

Цитировать00:01, 6 августа 2019
Американский космический корабль Cygnus расстыкуется с МКС

Москва. 6 августа. INTERFAX.RU - Спустя более трех месяцев после доставки грузов на Международную космическую станцию (МКС) американский космический корабль Cygnus корпорации Northrop Grumman во вторник должен будет покинуть ее, сообщает Национальное управление по аэронавтике и исследованию космического пространства США (NASA).

По данным американского космического агентства, расстыковка запланирована на 19:45 по Москве.

Cygnus заберет с собой со станции мусор и отходы. После расстыковки он поднимется на более высокую орбиту, чтобы запустить несколько малых исследовательских спутников. Кроме того, через месяц после самостоятельного полета с его борта будут выпущен "инспекционный" наноаппарат, который продемонстрируют способность производить маневры вокруг корабля и осуществлять его фотосъемку с высоким разрешением. Снимки будут передаваться на борт "грузовика" для последующей трансляции на Землю, сообщает NASA.

Cygnus продолжит автономный полет до декабря, когда он будет сведен с орбиты и прекратит свое существование в акватории Тихого океана. Большая его часть сгорит в плотных слоях атмосферы Земли. В общей сложности полет "грузовика" продлится рекордные для этого типа кораблей восемь месяцев.

Спойлер

Как сообщалось, 19 апреля грузовой корабль Cygnus пристыковался к американскому сегменту станции - модулю Unity. Он доставил на МКС около 3,5 тонн груза, в том числе продовольствие, а также оборудование и материалы для проведения десятков научных исследований. Среди прочего он впервые привез на МКС живые организмы - 40 лабораторных мышей, а также мини-робота Astro B, который будет использоваться для помощи экипажу при проведении различных экспериментов.

Корабль был выведен на орбиту ракетой-носителем Antares, стартовавшей с космодрома Уоллопс, который расположен на одноименном острове у атлантического побережья американского штата Вирджиния.

Запуск был осуществлен в рамках коммерческого контракта NASA с корпорацией Northrop Grumman, которой принадлежит ракета-носитель и автоматический грузовой космический корабль.

Это был уже 11-й полет американского космического грузовика данного типа к МКС. Был также еще один неудачный запуск в 2014 году, когда "грузовик" не долетел до станции вследствие аварии ракеты-носителя Antares. Первый запуск Cygnus состоялся 18 сентября 2013 года.
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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg) Northrop Grumman‏ Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 17 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1158484075952463873)
Join astronauts from the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) in saying goodbye to the #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash) NG-11 #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft as it departs tomorrow. Live coverage on @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) TV begins at noon ET. Watch here: http://ms.spr.ly/6014TMfRs  (https://t.co/RZ7eJi91Ad)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/175981.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184924.jpg) Intl. Space Station‏ Подлинная учетная запись @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1158778006673842176)
The U.S. #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) space freighter from @NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) was released from the station's robotic arm today at 11:15am ET and will remain in orbit until mid-December.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1158778594493194240)
The Cygnus NG-11 spacecraft, S.S. Roger Chaffee, was unberthed from the ISS Unity module at 1130 UTC and released into orbit by Canadarm-2 at 1615 UTC.  It departed the so-called 'approach ellipsoid' of ISS at 1635 UTC.

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 8/05/2019

Cygnus Departure Preparations:
The crew completed cargo closeout ops, egressed the vehicle and removed utility jumpers and installed required hardware prior to Cygnus vestibule depressurization and demate. The crew also installed the SlingShot brackets and deployers over the hatch area on the Cygnus vehicle in preparation for small satellite deploy following release which is scheduled tomorrow, August 6, at 11:15 AM CT.

ЦитироватьU.S. Cygnus Space Freighter Departs Station

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Aug 6, 2019 at 12:31 pm

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/131780.jpg)
The U.S. Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman was released from the station's robotic arm today at 11:15 a.m. EDT.

The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the International Space Station three months after arriving at the space station to deliver (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/northrop-grumman-heads-to-space-station-with-new-nasa-science-cargo) 7,600 of supplies and scientific experiments to the orbiting laboratory.

The Cygnus spacecraft will now remain in orbit until mid-December and coincide with a second Cygnus spacecraft scheduled for launch to the space station in October. This will be the first extended duration flight to demonstrate spacecraft's capability to fly two Cygnus vehicles simultaneously and support hosted payloads for longer periods of time.

Цитировать6 АВГ, 19:29 Обновлено 19:52
Грузовой корабль Cygnus отстыковался от МКС

Корабль отстыковался от американского модуля Unity

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 6 августа. /ТАСС/. Грузовой корабль Cygnus, доставивший в середине апреля на Международную космическую станцию (МКС) 3447 кг грузов, отстыковался во вторник от американского модуля Unity. Трансляция этой операции ведется на сайте Национального управления США по аэронавтике и исследованию космического пространства (NASA) из Центра управления космическими полетами в Хьюстоне (штат Техас).

Астронавты NASA Ник Хейг и Кристина Кох с помощью дистанционного манипулятора Canadarm2 отвели корабль от станции, а в 12:15 по времени восточного побережья США (19:15 мск) захваты манипулятора были отведены от корабля и он начал удаляться от МКС. В момент расстыковки станция находилась над Тихим океаном.

После отделения от МКС двигатели корабля проработали три минуты с тем, чтобы отвести его на безопасное расстояние от нее. Через сутки с корабля в два этапа будет осуществлен запуск микроспутников с помощью новой системы Slingshot. Один из них будет осуществлять маневры вокруг корабля, делать детальные снимки, а затем передавать эту информацию в бортовой компьютер для последующей передачи на Землю. Корабль будет находиться на орбите до 11 декабря, после чего войдет в плотные слои атмосферы и прекратит существование.

Cygnus, построенный корпорацией Northrop Grumman, совершил полет к МКС уже в 11-й раз. Нынешний стал последним в рамках действующего контракта Northrop Grumman с NASA. В соответствии с новым соглашением, которое будет выполняться с осени нынешнего года, компания в ходе шести полетов обязана доставить на МКС 20 т грузов.

ЦитироватьГрузовой космический корабль Cygnus покинул МКС
19:49, 6 августа 2019

ВАШИНГТОН, 6 авг – РИА Новости. Грузовой космический корабль Cygnus отстыковался от Международной космической станции (МКС), он продолжит работать на орбите до декабря для запуска малых спутников и дополнительных экспериментов, сообщили в НАСА.

Механический манипулятор CanadArm 2 "отпустил" находившийся на орбите более трех месяцев корабль в 19.15 мск. Команду на отстыковку грузовика дали бортинженеры МКС астронавты НАСА Ник Хейг и Кристина Кук. После отстыковки на три минуты были включены двигатели корабля, чтобы отвести грузовик на безопасное расстояние от станции. Ведущая трансляции НАСА сообщила, что приблизительно через 10 минут после отстыковки корабль покинул 200-метровую зону безопасности вокруг МКС.

Одноразовый космический корабль стартовал на МКС в апреле и завершает свою грузовую миссию, забрав со станции отработанные материалы.

Вторичная миссия корабля официально начнется приблизительно через 24 часа после того, как он покинул станцию. Как сообщило НАСА, в среду с борта грузового корабля будет запущена группа малых спутников. Планируется, что еще месяц спустя будет испытан новейший инструмент НАСА Seeker Robotic External CubeSat Inspection Vehicle, предназначенный для внешней проверки беспилотных космических кораблей. Небольшой зонд будет маневрировать вокруг Cygnus и фотографировать его внешнюю поверхность, затем передавать снимки на бортовой компьютер корабля для последующей передачи их на Землю.

Кораблю предстоит провести еще несколько экспериментов на орбите, в том числе показать способность его владельца – компании Northrop Grumman, оперировать сразу двумя однотипными кораблями на орбите. Ожидается, что миссия Cygnus завершится 11 декабря 2019 года, когда корабль по завершении всех экспериментов сгорит при входе в верхние слои атмосферы Земли.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg) Northrop Grumman‏ Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1158796761152008196)
Two for one Tuesday! Today our NG-11 #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft departed from @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station), while back on Earth our NG-12 Cygnus service module shipped to the launch site. #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176018.jpg)


10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1158797105214959622)
The S.S. Roger Chaffee will begin its first extended duration flight separate from the station. This flight will also demonstrate the ability to fly two Cygnus vehicles simultaneous when our NG-12 Cygnus vehicle launches from Wallops Island, VA, this October.

ЦитироватьNG-11: SS Roger Chaffee Cygnus departure

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220612.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/SciNewsRo) SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 6 авг. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185747.jpg) Christina H Koch‏ Подлинная учетная запись @Astro_Christina (https://twitter.com/Astro_Christina) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Astro_Christina/status/1158836524387053571)
Rest in Peace, Chris Kraft, NASA's original Flight Director and mission operations architect. It is on these days of dynamic #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) operations when the @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) team is doing amazing things that I appreciate and honor your legacy the most.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176037.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176038.jpg)

ЦитироватьISS Daily Summary Report – 8/06/2019

NG-11 Cygnus Departure:

Cygnus departed the ISS today at 11:16 AM CT, following a 109 day berthed duration. Destructive re-entry is planned for December 11, 2019. Following hatch closure yesterday, the crew installed the SlingShot brackets and deployers over the hatch area of the vehicle. SlingShot is a small satellite deployment system that fits inside the Cygnus Passive Common Berthing Mechanism (PCBM). This is the second SlingShot mission and will deploy 4 satellites, but can accommodate up to 18 satellites:

[/li]
• Quantum Radar: Student-operated ground stations utilize a collimated laser telescope to illuminate and perform tracking of the satellite.
  
• National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS): This is an Egyptian Space Agency civilian satellite. The main objective is scientific research for civilian purposes, including imaging, reception of temperature values of different subsystems, magnetic field measurement, and power supply values during different orbital positions.
  
• Radio Frequency Tag Satellite (RFTSat): This Northwest Nazarene University CubeSat demonstrates the application of radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting and backscatter communication to the problem of distributed sensing in space.
  
• ORCA: Demonstrates radio frequency communication technology for communication between spacecraft and from space to ground.
  

In addition to the deployed satellites, one payload will remain attached to SlingShot (UbiquityLink-2) which has the objective of demonstrating radio frequency communication technology for communication between spacecraft and from space to ground.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 18 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1159297974700322816)
Following its departure from ISS, the cargo ship S.S. Roger Chaffee has raised its orbit to 466 x 485 km. Expecting deploys by @SpaceflightInc (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightInc) @SEOPSLLC (https://twitter.com/SEOPSLLC) from the Slingshot system. (Hope they tweet the deploy times!)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1159452595087466496)
...successful deployment reported of cubesats  RTFSat, MakerSat-1, NARSScube-2, and ORCA from the Slingshot deployer on the Chaffee. No orbit data available yet for any of these.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 32 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1159481903172464645)
Interesting presentation at the last day of #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash) about a NASA/JSC cubesat called Seeker; will deploy from Cygnus next month to test technologies for future inspector spacecraft for ISS and other crewed spacecraft.



31 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1159482538999439360)
Mission success criteria for Seeker (and instructions for the mission team when achieved) #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)


(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/175873.jpg)

ЦитироватьNorthrop Grumman 11 Cygnus Release August 06, 2019

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220544.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/NASAgovVideo) NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 6 авг. 2019 г.

U.S. COMMERCIAL CARGO SHIP DEPARTS THE SPACE STATION

ЦитироватьSpace to Ground: A New Mission: 08/09/2019

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220577.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/ReelNASA) NASA Johnson (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmheCYT4HlbFi943lpH009Q)

Опубликовано: 9 авг. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186266.jpg) NanoRacks‏ Подлинная учетная запись @NanoRacks (https://twitter.com/NanoRacks) 8 авг. (https://twitter.com/NanoRacks/status/1159503738425499648)
Wrapping up @SmallSat (https://twitter.com/SmallSat) with more exciting news! Yesterday morning (Aug 7) at 13:00 UTC two #AeroCubes (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AeroCubes?src=hash) were deployed from the #NanoRacks (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NanoRacks?src=hash) #CubeSat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CubeSat?src=hash) deployer on the #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft. Big congrats @AerospaceCorp (https://twitter.com/AerospaceCorp), and thanks always to our friends at @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman)!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1160270027569979392)
... or, since the two Aerocube 10s were deployed from the Nanoracks NRCSD-E on Cygnus on Aug 7 at 1300 UTC, maybe the two new tracked objects are those ones.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31159.jpg) NASA Wallops‏ Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_Wallops (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops) 8 авг. (https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1159572279195557888)
Ride up on a Dragon(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125365.png), ride out on a swan (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125572.png)

A student-built mission called RFTSat launched aboard a @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) Dragon in July and deployed yesterday after the Cygnus cargo spacecraft left the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station).

RFTSat is a tech demo in NASA's Undergraduate Student Instrument Project

ЦитироватьAug. 8, 2019

Student-built CubeSat SlingShots Into Space

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207499.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/slingshotdeployer_window_view.jpg)

The student-built CubeSat—Radio Frequency Tag Satellite (RFTSat) (http://nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/elana_27_rftsat_cubesat_factsheet_0.pdf)— was deployed in space on August 7 using a one of a kind deployment dispenser called SlingShot. This image shows the Cygnus cargo spacecraft (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/tag/cygnus/) departing the space station with SlingShot payloads in preparation for deployment activities.

RFTSat was designed by students and faculty at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, and was selected through NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) to fly as an auxiliary payload on SpaceX's 18th commercial cargo resupply services mission to the International Space Station—which launched July 25, 2019 fr om Cape Canaveral, Florida.

RFTSat will demonstrate a low-cost, energy-efficient way to use radio frequency (RF) tags to communicate with a space vehicle using backscatter, or signal reflection to harvest energy. NASA selected it because of the potential future applications made possible using these very small, inexpensive tags that require no power source—no batteries, wires, or solar panels. The CubeSat was built using commercial-off-the-shelf components and repurposes radio frequency identification (RFID) tag technology already in use today.

Astronauts aboard the station loaded the CubeSat into the SlingShot deployer and then onto the Cygnus cargo vehicle before it undocked from the station. SlingShot ejected RFTSat into orbit 500 KM (310 miles) above Earth, wh ere it is expected to coast for about one year.

The new Hypergiant Slingshot dispenser (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/slingshot-small-satellite-deployment-test) was developed by SEOPS, LLC, and this mission marks the first time it has ever been used.

RFTSat was sponsored by NASA's Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) and mission management was conducted at Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia.

Last Updated: Aug. 9, 2019
Editor: Denise Hill

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 16 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1162102882801463304)
These leftover catalog numbers 44415-18 are now 2019-022E to 22H, presumed to be the four Slingshot-deployed cubesats RTFSat, QR-3, NARSSCube-2 and ORCA.  They are in 470 x 485 km x 51.6 deg orbits.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1164224493469855744)

Objects 44485 and 44484 (2019-22D and 22C) have been identified as Aerospace Corp's AEROCUBE 10A and 10B, apparently now nicknamed JimSat and DougSat. The cubesats were ejected from the Chaffee cargo ship on Aug 7

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185869.jpg) Spaceflight‏ @SpaceflightInc (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightInc) 21 авг. (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightInc/status/1164247809572397056)

Check out the @hypergiant (https://twitter.com/hypergiant) SEOPS dispensers on Cygnus as they leave the ISS. Epic!  Photo cred: @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176187.jpg)


21 авг. (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightInc/status/1164278258982162432)

Another look at the @hypergiant (https://twitter.com/hypergiant) SEOPS dispensers on Cygnus as it leave the ISS. What a view! Photo credit: @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176208.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67619.png) T.S. Kelso @TSKelso (https://twitter.com/TSKelso) 12 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1174038657457520640)

Space Track seems to be applying a new approach to cataloging deployed objects. Although this makes sense, it is inconsistent with decades of practice and not applied to the rest of the SATCAT. CelesTrak will continue to monitor before following suit.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176873.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 59 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1174209074373812225)

Deployment of the SEEKER spacecraft from Cygnus NG-11. It will carry out proximity operations with Cygnus


51 мин.51 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1174211006144405504)

Correction: planned SEEKER mission duration was only 60 minutes so it's presumably already done with its mission

ЦитироватьUpgraded Antares rocket rolled out for launch on space station resupply mission
October 29, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

...

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145756.jpg)
The NG-11 Cygnus cargo freighter departed the International Space Station on Aug. 6 to begin an extended mission. Credit: NASA

The Cygnus spacecraft from Northrop Grumman's previous cargo flight, NG-11, has remained in orbit since leaving the space station Aug. 6 to begin an extended technology demonstration mission.

After Saturday's launch, Northrop Grumman will operate two Cygnus vehicles in space at the same time. DeMauro said the company wants to demonstrate the dual-operations capability before deorbiting the NG-11 Cygnus to burn up during re-entry in the atmosphere.

The NG-11 Cygnus deployed several CubeSats in August, and since then has demonstrated the performance four control moment gyroscopes to govern the spacecraft's pointing in space. The gyros reduce the supply ship's fuel consumption, allowing it to remain in orbit for a longer mission.

"That experiment has gone very well," DeMauro said. "We've shown very minimal fuel use."

DeMauro said Northrop Grumman is eager to prove its ability to fly two Cygnus missions at the same time.

"That's important for us because we want to demonstrate to NASA, other government agencies, as well as commercial companies that Cygnus does have the capability to carry on it all sorts or rideshare payloads or science that will benefit from the microgravity environment we can provide, being a free-flyer, and do that for an extended period of time and downlink the data from those experiments," he said.
...

ЦитироватьSCIZ

R0156/19 - ZONE ...D... SECT  WEST PACIFIC DUE TO DEBRIS FRAGMENTS RE-ENTRY ACT
THE AFFECTED AREA WITHIN SCIZ FIR IS BOUNDED BY GEO COORD:
500000S 1300000W
303000S 1300000W
303000S 1310000W
500000S 1310000W
500000S 1300000W
INFORMATION: SANTIAGO OCEANIC 10024KHZ/6649 KHZ
ACFT FANS 1A CAPABLE MUST LOGON SCEZ
INFO PROVIDED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATIONS SYSTEMS.
SFC - UNL, 06 DEC 16:00 2019 UNTIL 06 DEC 18:30 2019.
CREATED: 29 NOV 17:12 2019

ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 3963/19

EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
061600Z TO 061830Z DEC IN AREA BOUND BY
50-00S 130-00W, 30-30S 130-00W,
30-30S 160-00W, 50-00S 160-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 061930Z DEC 19.//

Authority: NORTHROP GRUMMAN 091530Z APR 19.

Date: 010707Z DEC 19
Cancel: 06193000 Dec 19

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
Судя по выпущенным уведомлениям, сведение с орбиты,   возможно  , состоится ранее планировавшейся даты

NOTAM
 

ЦитироватьSCIZ

 R0156/19  - ZONE ...D... SECT  WEST PACIFIC DUE TO   DEBRIS FRAGMENTS RE-ENTRY   ACT
THE AFFECTED AREA WITHIN SCIZ FIR IS BOUNDED BY GEO COORD:
500000S 1300000W
303000S 1300000W
303000S 1310000W
500000S 1310000W
500000S 1300000W
INFORMATION: SANTIAGO OCEANIC 10024KHZ/6649 KHZ
ACFT FANS 1A CAPABLE MUST LOGON SCEZ
INFO PROVIDED BY   NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATIONS SYSTEMS  .
SFC - UNL,   06 DEC 16:00 2019 UNTIL 06 DEC 18:30 2019  .
CREATED: 29 NOV 17:12 2019

NOTMAR
 

ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 3963/19

EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
  061600Z TO 061830Z DEC   IN AREA BOUND BY
50-00S 130-00W, 30-30S 130-00W,
30-30S 160-00W, 50-00S 160-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 061930Z DEC 19.//

Authority: NORTHROP GRUMMAN 091530Z APR 19.

Date: 010707Z DEC 19
Cancel: 06193000 Dec 19

Закрываемая зона объявлена на   6 декабря с 16:00 до 18:30 UTC  

ЦитироватьАлександр Репной написал:
Кого именно сведение с орбиты?

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185703.jpg) Northrop Grumman‏ @northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1203018776352100352)

After more than 230 days in space, our NG-11 #Cygnus (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cygnus?src=hash) spacecraft successfully completed its mission earlier today. During the mission, we delivered nearly 8,000 pounds of cargo to the @Space_Station (https://twitter.com/Space_Station) and flew two Cygnus spacecraft at once. #NorthropGrumman (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthropGrumman?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/178601.jpg)

ЦитироватьCrew Preps for Two Space Deliveries Racing to Station

Mark Garcia (https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/author/magarcia/)
Posted Dec 6, 2019 at 1:31 pm

...
Northrop Grumman deorbited one of its two Cygnus resupply ships in space today four months after it departed the orbiting lab.  It orbited Earth for a series of engineering tests before it was commanded to reenter the atmosphere and burn up safely over the Pacific Ocean. ...

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1203149496034713600)

Cygnus NG-11. the S.S. Roger Chaffee, lowered its orbit at about 1840 UTC Dec 5 and was deorbited earlier today, Dec 6, sometime around 1600-1830 UTC (@northropgrumman (https://twitter.com/northropgrumman) can you give a specific time?). NG-11 delivered cargo to ISS on Apr 19 and departed ISS Aug 6

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
 

ЦитироватьАлександр Репной (//forum/user/15754/) написал:
Кого именно сведение с орбиты?

Тема носит название - "Cygnus NG-11 (CRS-11)...". Корабль после отделения от МКС 6 августа находится в свободном полёте, по ранее объявленным планам - до 11 декабря с.г. Уведомления воздухо- и мореплавателям говорят, что сведение корабля с орбиты возможно уже 6 декабря по заявке NORTHROP GRUMMAN INNOVATIONS SYSTEMS.

ЦитироватьАлександр Репной написал:
Когда затопят - проинформируйте.

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
 

ЦитироватьАлександр Репной (//forum/user/15754/) написал:
Когда затопят - проинформируйте.

Так уже  #308 (http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/messages/forum10/topic16713/message1921782/#message1921782)

ЦитироватьАлександр Репной написал:
Вчера в Новой Зеландии запустили рокэтлаб. Какой её норад? Возможно отнаблюдать из Украины?

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
 

ЦитироватьT.S. Kelso  @TSKelso    12 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1174038657457520640)

Space Track seems to be applying a new approach to cataloging deployed objects. Although this makes sense, it is inconsistent with decades of practice and not applied to the rest of the SATCAT. CelesTrak will continue to monitor before following suit.
https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176873.jpg (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176873.jpg)
 

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
 

ЦитироватьJonathan McDowell ‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589    18 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1122694945209487360)

The Antares rocket stage from the NG-11 launch reentered over the Pacific at 1330 UTC Apr 28. Still no word on SASSI-2 and the ThinSats, which may also have reentered by now

ЦитироватьСтарый написал:
А куда делись спутники ... и Kenobi?

ЦитироватьСтарый написал:
А Кеноби не отделился уже от самого Синуса?

ЦитироватьKenobi being the hosted payload that will stay inside the deployer, running communication channels for the Seeker #CubeSat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CubeSat?src=hash)

ЦитироватьAfter about a month of free-flight operations, NASA's Seeker Robotic External CubeSat Inspection Vehicle (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7600) will be deployed and operations will begin to demonstrate its ability to maneuver around Cygnus and take high-resolution photos. Seeker will transmit those images to its Kenobi receiver inside Cygnus for storage and transmission to the ground at a later date.

ЦитироватьСтарый написал:
А куда делись спутники SASSI и ...?

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
 

ЦитироватьСтарый (//forum/user/13420/) написал:
А куда делись спутники SASSI и ...?

За SASSI не скажу: ни в базе TLE, ни в каталоге объектов что-либо под именем SASSI не значится  

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
 

ЦитироватьСтарый (//forum/user/13420/) написал:
А куда делись спутники ... и Kenobi?

ЦитироватьСтарый (//forum/user/13420/) написал:
А Кеноби не отделился уже от самого Синуса?

 #96 (https://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/messages/forum10/topic16713/message1846300/#message1846300)  (твит NanoRacks)
 

ЦитироватьKenobi   being the hosted payload that   will stay inside the deployer  , running communication channels for the Seeker  #CubeSat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CubeSat?src=hash)

 #255 (https://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/messages/forum10/topic16713/message1873053/#message1873053)  (пресс-релиз НАСА)
 

ЦитироватьAfter about a month of free-flight operations,  NASA's Seeker Robotic External CubeSat Inspection Vehicle (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7600)  will be deployed and operations will begin to demonstrate its ability to maneuver around Cygnus and take high-resolution photos. Seeker will transmit those images to its   Kenobi receiver inside Cygnus   for storage and transmission to the ground at a later date.

Kenobi - не микроспутник, а неотделяемая часть системы запуска мКА SEOPS, которая сгорела вместе с Лебедем-11.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/68302.jpg) (https://twitter.com/planet4589) Jonathan McDowell ✔@planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 4:11 AM (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1252767019600150528) - Apr 22, 2020

A new object cataloged from the NG-11 launch is probably the third passive atmospheric probe released by @AerospaceCorp (https://twitter.com/AerospaceCorp) Aerocube-10a. Here are the orbital height histories of the probes and AC-10a.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181955.jpg)