Tag: Northrop Grumman
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Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-17 arrives at ISS
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus NG-17 spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, less than two days after it launched on the Antares 230+ rocket from Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Enhanced Cygnus spacecraft on this mission is named the S.S. Piers Sellers, in honor of the former NASA astronaut.…
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James Webb Space Telescope fully deploys, Northrop Grumman marks sunshield success
At 18:17 UTC on January 8, 2022, the joint NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) successfully deployed the starboard wing of its massive 6.5-meter mirror — marking the end of the observatory’s intense and critical deployment sequence. The feat capped an impressive series of engineering accomplishments,…
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Blue Origin’s team wins a $130M share of NASA funding for commercial space stations
An artist’s conception shows the Orbital Reef space station with a single-person spacecraft and Boeing’s Starliner space taxi flying nearby, and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser space plane docked to a port. (Orbital Reef Illustration) Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture and its partners have won a $130 million award to jump-start the design of their…
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Blue Origin and four other companies win millions to keep lunar lander dreams alive
An artist’s conception shows an astronaut stepping onto the lunar surface. (NASA Illustration) Months after losing out to SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture and two of its partners in a lunar lander project will be getting fresh infusions of financial support from NASA, thanks to a follow-up program aimed at boosting capabilities for…
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Northrop Grumman discusses Antares NG-16’s eventful countdown, talks future missions
On August 10, the S.S. Ellison Onizuka launched on an Antares 230+ rocket from Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. The NG-16 countdown was hampered with helium and ground computer issues leading up to the final T0 mark. But teams at Northrop Grumman were able to launch at the end of the launch window at…
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NG-16 arrives at ISS, Northrop Grumman talks Cygnus’ future use
After a 36 hour phasing profile, the S.S. Ellison Onizuka cargo ship, part of Northrop Grumman’s NG-16 mission, has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS). Safely in the grip of Canadarm2, Cygnus was attached to the nadir port of the Unity (Node-1) module for the multi-month cargo delivery and removal process. Speaking before the…
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NASA, Northrop Grumman designing new BOLE SRB for SLS Block 2 vehicle
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) program and booster element prime contractor Northrop Grumman are developing an upgrade to the current Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The SLS Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) program is in the detailed design phase prior to firing its first ground-test development motor in 2024, followed by a preliminary design review…
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Ten years on, Northrop Grumman reflects on changes to Solid Rocket Motors from Shuttle to SLS era
Ten years ago, on 8 July 2011, two, four-segment Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) came to life on LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center, propelling the orbiter Atlantis and her four person crew upwards toward space on the 135th and final Space Shuttle mission. It marked the 269th and 270th flight firings of an SRB for…
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Pegasus XL rocket successfully launches Tactically Responsive Launch demo for Space Force
Northrop Grumman’s air-launched Pegasus XL rocket made a low-profile launch for the US Space Force Sunday, in a mission designed to demonstrate the ability to call up and conduct a launch at short notice. The launch occurred off the coast of California during a six-minute window that opened at 01:09 PDT (08:09 UTC). The mission…
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Mars Ascent Vehicle from Northrop Grumman takes shape for Mars Sample Return mission
Since Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars on November 14, 1971, NASA has been continuously studying the Red Planet. The Viking landers reached the surface of Mars five years later and began sampling the soil. Since then, numerous landers and rovers with instruments from institutions across Earth have studied and traveled the red terrain in…