Cygnus NG-16
Names | CRS OA-16 |
---|---|
Mission type | ISS resupply |
Operator | NASA |
COSPAR ID | 2021-072A |
SATCAT no. | 49064![]() |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Enhanced Cygnus |
Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Thales Alenia Space |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 1 July 2021 (planned) [1] |
Rocket | Antares 230+ |
Launch site | MARS, LP-0A |
Contractor | Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Deorbited |
Decay date | 2021 (planned) |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Inclination | 51.66° |
Berthing at ISS | |
Berthing port | Harmony or Unity |
Unberthing date | 26 August 2021 |
Cygnus NG-16, previously known as CRS OA-16, is the sixteenth planned flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its fifteenth flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract with NASA. The mission is planned to launch on 1 July 2021 for a 56 day mission at ISS.[1] This is the fifth launch of Cygnus under the CRS-2 contract.[2][3]
Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems) and NASA jointly developed a new space transportation system to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, Orbital ATK designed, acquired, built, and assembled these components: Antares, a medium-class launch vehicle; Cygnus, an advanced spacecraft using a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) provided by industrial partner Thales Alenia Space and a Service Module based on the Orbital GEOStar satellite bus.[4]
History
Cygnus NG-16 is the fifth Cygnus mission under the Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract.
Production and integration of Cygnus spacecraft are performed in Dulles, Virginia. The Cygnus service module is mated with the pressurized cargo module at the launch site, and mission operations are conducted from control centers in Dulles, Virginia and Houston, Texas.[4]
Spacecraft
This will be the eleventh flight of the Enhanced-sized Cygnus PCM.[5][3]
Manifest
Cygnus spacecraft is loaded with 0 kg (0 lb) of research, hardware, and crew supplies.[6]
- Crew supplies: 0 kg (0 lb)
- Science investigations: 0 kg (0 lb)
- Spacewalk equipment: 0 kg (0 lb)
- Vehicle hardware: 0 kg (0 lb)
- Computer resources: 0 kg (0 lb)
SEOPS Slingshot Deployment System will deliver Cubesats to 500 km (310 mi) orbit, after un-berthing from ISS in late 2021.[7]
Forschung
The new experiments arriving at the orbiting laboratory will inspire future scientists and explorers, and provide valuable insight for researchers.
NASA Glenn Research Center studies: [8]
- Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE)
- Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) Reconfigure
See also
References
- ^ a b "Cygnus CRS NG-16 Status". Next Spaceflight. 27 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ Gebhardt, Chris (1 June 2018). "Orbital ATK looks ahead to CRS-2 Cygnus flights, Antares on the commercial market". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ a b Clark, Stephen (1 October 2020). "Northrop Grumman "optimistic" to receive more NASA cargo mission orders". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Cygnus Spacecraft". Northrop Grumman. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ Leone, Dan (17 August 2015). "NASA Orders Two More ISS Cargo Missions From Orbital ATK". spacenews.com. SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ "Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply". ISS Program Office. NASA. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Slingshot Deployment Process". seopsllc.com. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "ISS Research Program". Glenn Research Center. NASA. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.