{"id":11191,"date":"2022-11-07T20:15:40","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T12:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/cygnus-cargo-ship-launches-to-space-station-deploys-one-of-two-solar-arrays\/"},"modified":"2022-11-07T20:15:40","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T12:15:40","slug":"cygnus-cargo-ship-launches-to-space-station-deploys-one-of-two-solar-arrays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/cygnus-cargo-ship-launches-to-space-station-deploys-one-of-two-solar-arrays\/","title":{"rendered":"Cygnus cargo ship launches to space station, deploys one of two solar arrays"},"content":{"rendered":"

EDITOR\u2019S NOTE:<\/strong> Updated at 2 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) with solar array update.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Northrop Grumman\u2019s Antares rocket fires off its launch pad in Virginia to begin the NG-18 resupply mission. Credit: Alex Polimeni \/ Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Using its second-to-last Antares rocket with Russian engines before a redesign to rely on all-U.S. propulsion, Northrop Grumman sent a Cygnus supply ship into orbit from Virginia on Monday to deliver spacewalk equipment, experiments, and fresh treats for the crew on the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

The 139-foot-tall (42.5-meter) Antares rocket lit its twin Russian-made RD-181 engines and climbed away from pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia at 5:32:42 a.m. EST (1032:42 GMT).<\/p>\n

The launcher headed southeast from the spaceport on Virginia\u2019s Eastern Shore \u2014 co-located with NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility \u2014 to line up with the orbital path of the space station.<\/p>\n

The Antares rocket\u2019s Ukrainian-built first stage shut off its kerosene-fueled engines more than three minutes into the flight after climbing above a cloud layer over the Virginia launch site. The booster jettisoned a few seconds after engine cutoff, followed by separation of of the rocket\u2019s nose cone and ignition of the U.S.-made upper stage solid rocket motor more than four minutes into the mission.<\/p>\n

The Castor 30XL upper stage consumed its pre-packed solid propellant in less than three minutes, setting the stage for deployment of the 17,853-pound (8,098-kilogram) Cygnus spacecraft about nine minutes after liftoff. Northrop Grumman\u2019s launch commentator confirmed the rocket achieved the expected orbit to send the Cygnus supply ship on a course toward the space station.<\/p>\n

The Cygnus spacecraft was expected to open its fan-shaped solar arrays a few hours after launch, then perform a series of orbital adjustment burns to fine-tune its approach to the space station. NASA said later Monday morning that teams only confirmed one of the two solar arrays deployed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNorthrop Grumman is gathering data on the second array deployment and is working closely with NASA,\u201d NASA said. \u201cNorthrop Grumman has reported to NASA that Cygnus has sufficient power to rendezvous with the International Space Station on Wednesday, Nov. 9, to complete its primary mission, and NASA is assessing this and the configuration required for capture and berthing. We will provide more information as it becomes available.\u201d<\/p>\n

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann will operate the station\u2019s robotic arm to capture the Cygnus spacecraft around 5:05 a.m. EST (1005 GMT) Wednesday and place it on a berthing port at the orbiting lab\u2019s Unity module for a nearly three-month stay.<\/p>\n

The first launch attempt for the NG-18 resupply mission Sunday was scrubbed after a fire alarm at the Cygnus spacecraft\u2019s control center in Dulles, Virginia, forced officials to evacuate the facility with only minutes remaining in the countdown.<\/p>\n