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This morning, astronauts from the International Space Station managed to control Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Cygnus vessel. with the robotic arm of the station, capturing a cargo of 3,400 kg (7,400 lb.), just in time for Easter.
April 17 the launched spaceship on Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket from Pad-0A in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Air Force Base in Virginia. The mid-afternoon launch attracted record crowds from the surrounding area and went smoothly. "The spacecraft is in very good health and it is working very well," said Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager of space systems at Northrop Grumman, at a press conference on April 17.
After the launch, the spacecraft 's solar panels were successfully deployed and began to generate energy for the craft. Once the vehicle arrived at the space station, NASA astronaut Anne McClain seized the craft with Canadarm2, the Canadian Robotic Arm who is attached to the station.
Related: The private spaceship Antares Rocket & Cygnus explained (infographic)
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus NG-11 freighter launched from Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia on April 17, 2019.
(Image: © Bill Ingalls / NASA)
The crew will begin to bring the cargo back in and fill Cygnus with the waste from the space station. Among the scientific experiments A rodent study of 40 live mice, auxiliary robots and portable health sensors was sent to the station. According to DeMauro, no festive treat has been sent to astronauts, but there is a wide variety of food on board, including turkey, a cocktail of shrimp and a plethora of desserts, which the crew can enjoy during the week-end. -end.
Cygnus door 2,065 pounds (936 kilograms) of crew supplies, 3,459 pounds (1,569 kg) of scientific investigations, 53 pounds (24 kg) of space release equipment, 1,384 pounds (628 kg) of equipment vehicle, 10 pounds (5 kg) of computer resources and 77 pounds (35 kg) of Northrop-Grumman equipment at the station. Of the 3,575 pounds (3,436 kg) net of cargo, 6,971 pounds (3,162 kg) are under pressure. The remaining 239 kg – a NanoRacks flyer that will go outside the space station – are not pressurized.
One of the latest enhancements to Cygnus, which will be incorporated into the second Commercial Replenishment Services (CRS-2) program, is the ability to change the payload weight at a date relatively close to launch. Cygnus can now accept some shipments 24 hours before the launch, which is much shorter than the previous four-day freight schedule. These new features will allow Cygnus to carry more time sensitive shipments and experiences, as well as last-minute changes in payload.
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