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Cygnus (spacecraft)

February 28, 2023

Cygnus is an expendable American cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and now manufactured and launched by Northrop Grumman Space Systems as part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. It is launched by Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket or ULA's Atlas V and is designed to transport supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the American Space Shuttle. Since August 2000, ISS resupply missions have been regularly flown by the Russian Progress spacecraft, as well as by the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, and the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle. With the Cygnus spacecraft and the SpaceX Dragon, NASA seeks to increase its partnerships with domestic commercial aviation and aeronautics industry.[2]

Cygnus
Cygnus spacecraft approaching the International Space Station for the NG-12 mission
ManufacturerNorthrop Grumman
Country of originUnited States
OperatorNorthrop Grumman
ApplicationsISS resupply
Specifications
Spacecraft typeUncrewed cargo vehicle
Launch mass6,600 kg
Dry mass3,400 kg
Payload capacity3,000 kg
Volume18.9 m3
Power3.5 kW
Design life1 week to 2 years [1]
Dimensions
Length5.1 m
Diameter3.07 m
Production
StatusIn service
Built18
Launched19
Operational1
Retired16
Lost1
Maiden launch18 September 2013
Last launch7 November 2022

Cygnus is the Latinized Greek word for swan and a northern constellation.

Development

 
The NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (third from left) in front of the Cygnus spacecraft in May 2012.

With Rocketplane Kistler unable to meet funding obligations for its K-1 launch vehicle under the terms of the COTS agreement, NASA decided on 18 October 2007 to terminate its contract with Rocketplane Kistler and re-award its contract after a competition.[3] On 19 February 2008, NASA announced that it had chosen Orbital Sciences as the new winner.[4] On 23 December 2008, NASA awarded Orbital Sciences a $1.9 billion contract under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. Under this contract, Orbital Sciences agreed to deliver up to 20 tons of cargo to the ISS through 2016 in eight Cygnus spacecraft flights.[2]

By April 2010, Orbital had displayed a full-scale model of the Cygnus cargo delivery spacecraft at the National Space Symposium (NSS) in Colorado Springs, CO.[5]

Launched on an Antares (renamed from Taurus II) medium-class launch vehicle or Atlas V, the first Cygnus flight was originally planned to occur in December 2010.[6]·[7] The Cygnus demonstration mission was successfully launched on 18 September 2013.[8] On 12 January 2014, the first scheduled Cygnus resupply mission arrived at the space station; the capsule carried Christmas presents and fresh fruit for the astronauts. Its arrival was delayed, first by the need to repair the station, and then by frigid weather at the launch site and solar flares that forced postponements.[8]·[9]

With the December 2015 launch of Orb CRS-4 on Atlas V, the enhanced version of Cygnus made its debut. While it was planned from the beginning to fly on the fifth mission, the Orb CRS-3 failure and subsequent move to Atlas V meant a delay. However, lessons learned on packing and the extra capabilities of the Atlas allowed payload to be increased to 3,500 kg (7,700 lb).[10]

Design

 
A scale drawing of the Standard (left) and Enhanced (right) Cygnus.

The Cygnus spacecraft consists of two basic components: the Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) and the Service Module (SM). The PCM is manufactured by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, (Italy). The initial PCMs have an empty mass of 1,500 kg [11] and a volume of 18 m3·.[12] The service module is built by Orbital ATK and is based on their GEOStar and LEOStar spacecraft buses as well as components from the development of the Dawn spacecraft. It has a gross mass of 1,800 kg with propulsion provided by thrusters using the hypergolic propellants hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide (the propellant mass is 800 kg [13][14]). The service module is capable of producing up to 4 kW of electrical power via two gallium arsenide solar arrays.[12] On 12 November 2009, Dutch Space announced it will provide the solar arrays for the initial Cygnus spacecraft.[15]

 
The Standard Cygnus being unberthed from the Harmony module.

The fourth and all subsequent Cygnus spacecraft are planned to be of the "Enhanced" variant, as the standard variant has been retired.[16] These will use a stretched 1,800-kilogram (empty weight) PCM which increases the interior volume to 27 m3 and the service module will use Orbital ATK Ultraflex solar arrays which will provide the same amount of power as the previous solar arrays but at a lower mass.[12]·[16] A new upper stage built by Orbital ATK, the Castor 30XL, will be used in conjunction with the enhanced Cygnus; because of the more powerful upper stage and the lighter solar arrays, the payload that Cygnus can deliver to the ISS will be increased by 700 kg.[17]

During nominal CRS missions, Cygnus maneuvers close to the International Space Station, where the Canadarm2 robotic arm grapples the spacecraft and berths it to a Common Berthing Mechanism on the Harmony module in a similar fashion to the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle and the retired SpaceX Dragon,[12] but not the other active American CRS Dragon 2 vehicle, which docks autonomously. For typical missions, Cygnus is planned to remain berthed for about 30 days.[18]·[19] Unlike Dragon 2 and the earlier Dragon, Cygnus does not provide cargo return capability. However, it can be loaded with obsolete equipment and trash for destructive reentry similar to the Russian Progress vehicles.[20]

A formerly planned variant of Cygnus would have replaced the PCM with the Unpressurized Cargo Module (UCM), based on NASA's ExPRESS Logistics Carrier, and would have been used to transport unpressurized cargo, such as ISS Orbital Replacement Units.[6]·[21] Another proposed variant would have replaced the PCM with the Return Cargo Module (RCM), which would have allowed Cygnus to return cargo to Earth.[6]·

Lunar Gateway module variant

In August 2019, NASA decided to sole source its design for the Minimal Habitation Module (now known as the Habitation and Logistics Outpost, or HALO) of the Lunar Gateway to Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, which offered a minimalist 6.1-meter (20 feet) by 3-meter (9.8 feet) design based directly on the Enhanced Cygnus, as well as a larger 7-meter (22.9 feet) by 4.4-meter (14.4 feet) design also based on the Cygnus,[22][23] to the outside of which radial docking ports, body-mounted radiators (BMRs), batteries and communications antennae will be added. Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems opted to build the minimalist design, which offered the advantage of component compatibility and expedited testing of life support systems on existing Cygnus spacecraft.[24][25] On 5 June 2020, NASA awarded Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems a $187 million contract to complete the preliminary design of HALO. NASA will sign a separate contract with Northrop for the fabrication of the HALO, and for integration with the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), being built by Maxar.[24][25]

Missions

List includes only missions that have flown and five planned missions. As of November 2022 one mission is currently planned to be launched from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0A on the one remaining Antares 230+ rocket, three are to be launched on the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral SLC-40, and one from Wallops on an Antares 330.[26]

The PCM of each mission thus far has been named after a deceased NASA staffer (mostly astronauts).

Cygnus spacecraft missions
# Mission Patch Payload Variant Launch date Rocket Payload mass Outcome Ref.
0 Cygnus Mass Simulator Cygnus Payload Simulator N.A. 21 April 2013, 21:00:00 UTC Antares 110 Success [27]·[28]
First Antares launch, demonstrated Antares's performance and capability to place its payload on a precise target orbit.[29]
1 Orb-D1
G. David Low 		Cygnus 1
Orbital Sciences COTS Demo Flight 		Standard 18 September 2013, 14:58:00 UTC Antares 110 1,299 lb (589 kg) Success [30]·[31]·[27]·[32]
First Cygnus mission, first mission to rendezvous with ISS, first mission to berth with ISS, second launch of Antares. The rendezvous between the new Cygnus cargo freighter and the International Space Station was delayed due to a computer data link problem,[33] but the issue was resolved and berthing followed shortly thereafter.[34]
2 Orb-1
C. Gordon Fullerton 		  Orbital-1 Standard 9 January 2014, 18:07:05 UTC Antares 120 2,780 lb (1,260 kg) Success [31]·[27]·[35]·[32]
First Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) mission for Cygnus, first Antares launch using the Castor 30B upperstage.
3 Orb-2
Janice E. Voss 		  Orbital Sciences CRS Flight 2 Standard 13 July 2014, 16:52:14 UTC Antares 120 3,293 lb (1,494 kg) Success [27]·[32]
Second Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) mission for Cygnus.
4 Orb-3
Deke Slayton 		  Orbital Sciences CRS Flight 3 Standard 28 October 2014, 22:22:38 UTC Antares 130 4,883 lb (2,215 kg) Failure [36]·[32]
First Antares launch to use Castor 30XL upperstage, delayed due to boat in launch safe zone. Second takeoff attempt suffered a catastrophic anomaly resulting in an explosion shortly after launch. Contents of the cargo included food and care packages for the crew, parts, experiments, and the Arkyd-3 Flight Test (Non-optical) Satellite from Planetary Resources.
5 OA-4
Deke Slayton II 		  Orbital ATK CRS Flight 4 Enhanced 6 December 2015, 21:44:57 UTC Atlas V 401 7,746 lb (3,514 kg) Success [37]·[38]·[32]
First Enhanced Cygnus mission; Orbital Sciences contracted with United Launch Alliance to launch this Cygnus on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
6 OA-6
Rick Husband 		  Orbital ATK CRS Flight 6 Enhanced 23 March 2016, 03:05:52 UTC Atlas V 401 7,758 lb (3,519 kg) Success [37]·[39]·[38]·[40]·[32]
Second mission to fly on an Atlas V. Orbital Sciences had an option with United Launch Alliance to conduct a third Cygnus launch on an Atlas V rocket if necessary.
7 OA-5
Alan Poindexter 		  Orbital ATK CRS Flight 5 Enhanced 17 October 2016, 23:45:36 UTC Antares 230 5,163 lb (2,342 kg) Success [41]·[42]·[43]
The Antares 230 rocket carrying Cygnus lifted off at 23:45:36 UTC, 17 October 2016. Successful rendezvous was achieved on 23 October 2016 at 14:53 UTC.
8 OA-7
John Glenn 		  Orbital ATK CRS Flight 7 Enhanced 18 April 2017, 15:11:26 UTC Atlas V 401 7,443 lb (3,376 kg) Success [44][45]·[39]·[38]·[40]·[32]
9 OA-8E
Gene Cernan 		  Orbital ATK CRS Flight 8 Enhanced 12 November 2017, 12:19:51 UTC Antares 230 7,359 lb (3,338 kg) Success [46][45]·[39]·[38]·[40]
11 November 2017, launch was scrubbed just before launch when a general aviation aircraft entered the hazard zone and did not respond to calls.[47]
10 OA-9E
J.R. Thompson 		  Orbital ATK CRS Flight 9 Enhanced 21 May 2018, 08:44:06 UTC Antares 230 7,385 lb (3,350 kg) Success [48][49]
It became the first time a commercial vehicle performed ISS reboosting when, at 20:25 UTC on July 10, 2018 , Cygnus’s main engine was fired for about 50 seconds. Although it was just a reboost test, it still raised the altitude by about 295 feet, according to NASA.[50]
11 NG-10
John Young 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 10 Enhanced 17 November 2018, 09:01:31 UTC Antares 230 7,386 lb (3,350 kg) Success [51]·[52]
12 NG-11
Roger Chaffee 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 11 Enhanced 17 April 2019, 20:46:07 UTC Antares 230 7,575 lb (3,436 kg) Success [53]
13 NG-12
Alan Bean 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 12 Enhanced 2 November 2019, 13:59:47 UTC Antares 230+ 8,221 lb (3,729 kg) Success
14 NG-13
Robert H. Lawrence 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 13 Enhanced 15 February 2020, 20:21:01 UTC Antares 230+ 8,009 lb (3,633 kg) Success [54]
9 February 2020, launch was scrubbed due to a ground support issue.[55]
15 NG-14
Kalpana Chawla 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 14 Enhanced 3 October 2020, 01:16:14 UTC Antares 230+ 7,624 lb (3,458 kg) Success [56]
1 October 2020, launch delayed at 11:00 due to boat in range[57]

1 October 2020, launch was scrubbed due to a ground support issue[58]

16 NG-15
Katherine Johnson 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 15 Enhanced 20 February 2021, 17:36:50 UTC Antares 230+ 8,400 lb (3,800 kg) Success
17 NG-16
Ellison Onizuka 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 16 Enhanced 10 August 2021, 22:01:05 UTC Antares 230+ 8,208 lb (3,723 kg) Success [59]
18 NG-17
Piers Sellers 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 17 Enhanced 19 February 2022, 17:40:03 UTC Antares 230+ 8,049 lb (3,651 kg) Success
Performed the first operational limited reboost of ISS by a commercial vehicle on 25 June 2022 after it was aborted after few seconds on 20 June 2022.[60][61]
19 NG-18
Sally Ride 		  Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 18 Enhanced 7 November 2022, 10:32:42 UTC Antares 230+ 8,173 lb (3,707 kg) Success [62][63][64]
6 November 2022, scrubbed due to fire alarm in mission control[65]
20 NG-19
TBA 		TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 19 Enhanced March 2023[63] Antares 230+ TBA TBA
21 NG-20
TBA 		TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 20 Enhanced H2 2023[26] Falcon 9 Block 5 TBA TBA
First mission to fly on a Falcon 9.
22 NG-21
TBA 		TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 21 Enhanced H1 2024[26] Falcon 9 Block 5 TBA TBA
23 NG-22
TBA 		TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 22 Enhanced H2 2024[26] Falcon 9 Block 5 TBA TBA
24 NG-23
TBA 		TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 23 Enhanced H2 2024[26] Antares 330 TBA TBA
First flight of the Antares 330.

In March 2022, NASA ordered six additional flights, Cygnus NG-20 to NG-25, to resupply the ISS through 2026.[66]

See also

References

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  19. ^ "Antares A-ONE Pre-flight Briefing". NASA. 16 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 22 April 2013. Typical mission will be about 30 days, including the rendezvous, the time aboard station, the time to de-orbit. We could extend that to 60 or 90 at NASA's request, however once we separate from the space station, the spacecraft itself, depending on its fuel load could probably fly easily for another year, in terms of what the components are certified for.
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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cygnus spacecraft.
  • NASA Commercial Resupply Mission Update : Northrop Grumman
  • Computer animation of the Standard Cygnus delivering cargo to the ISS - Youtube

February 28, 2023
cygnus, spacecraft, cygnus, expendable, american, cargo, spacecraft, developed, orbital, sciences, corporation, manufactured, launched, northrop, grumman, space, systems, part, nasa, commercial, resupply, services, program, launched, northrop, grumman, antares. Cygnus is an expendable American cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and now manufactured and launched by Northrop Grumman Space Systems as part of NASA s Commercial Resupply Services CRS program It is launched by Northrop Grumman s Antares rocket or ULA s Atlas V and is designed to transport supplies to the International Space Station ISS following the retirement of the American Space Shuttle Since August 2000 ISS resupply missions have been regularly flown by the Russian Progress spacecraft as well as by the European Automated Transfer Vehicle and the Japanese H II Transfer Vehicle With the Cygnus spacecraft and the SpaceX Dragon NASA seeks to increase its partnerships with domestic commercial aviation and aeronautics industry 2 CygnusCygnus spacecraft approaching the International Space Station for the NG 12 missionManufacturerNorthrop GrummanCountry of originUnited StatesOperatorNorthrop GrummanApplicationsISS resupplySpecificationsSpacecraft typeUncrewed cargo vehicleLaunch mass6 600 kgDry mass3 400 kgPayload capacity3 000 kgVolume18 9 m3Power3 5 kWDesign life1 week to 2 years 1 DimensionsLength5 1 mDiameter3 07 mProductionStatusIn serviceBuilt18Launched19Operational1Retired16Lost1Maiden launch18 September 2013Last launch7 November 2022Cygnus is the Latinized Greek word for swan and a northern constellation Contents 1 Development 2 Design 2 1 Lunar Gateway module variant 3 Missions 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDevelopment Edit The NASA Administrator Charles Bolden third from left in front of the Cygnus spacecraft in May 2012 With Rocketplane Kistler unable to meet funding obligations for its K 1 launch vehicle under the terms of the COTS agreement NASA decided on 18 October 2007 to terminate its contract with Rocketplane Kistler and re award its contract after a competition 3 On 19 February 2008 NASA announced that it had chosen Orbital Sciences as the new winner 4 On 23 December 2008 NASA awarded Orbital Sciences a 1 9 billion contract under the Commercial Resupply Services CRS program Under this contract Orbital Sciences agreed to deliver up to 20 tons of cargo to the ISS through 2016 in eight Cygnus spacecraft flights 2 By April 2010 Orbital had displayed a full scale model of the Cygnus cargo delivery spacecraft at the National Space Symposium NSS in Colorado Springs CO 5 Launched on an Antares renamed from Taurus II medium class launch vehicle or Atlas V the first Cygnus flight was originally planned to occur in December 2010 6 7 The Cygnus demonstration mission was successfully launched on 18 September 2013 8 On 12 January 2014 the first scheduled Cygnus resupply mission arrived at the space station the capsule carried Christmas presents and fresh fruit for the astronauts Its arrival was delayed first by the need to repair the station and then by frigid weather at the launch site and solar flares that forced postponements 8 9 With the December 2015 launch of Orb CRS 4 on Atlas V the enhanced version of Cygnus made its debut While it was planned from the beginning to fly on the fifth mission the Orb CRS 3 failure and subsequent move to Atlas V meant a delay However lessons learned on packing and the extra capabilities of the Atlas allowed payload to be increased to 3 500 kg 7 700 lb 10 Design Edit A scale drawing of the Standard left and Enhanced right Cygnus The Cygnus spacecraft consists of two basic components the Pressurized Cargo Module PCM and the Service Module SM The PCM is manufactured by Thales Alenia Space in Turin Italy The initial PCMs have an empty mass of 1 500 kg 11 and a volume of 18 m3 12 The service module is built by Orbital ATK and is based on their GEOStar and LEOStar spacecraft buses as well as components from the development of the Dawn spacecraft It has a gross mass of 1 800 kg with propulsion provided by thrusters using the hypergolic propellants hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide the propellant mass is 800 kg 13 14 The service module is capable of producing up to 4 kW of electrical power via two gallium arsenide solar arrays 12 On 12 November 2009 Dutch Space announced it will provide the solar arrays for the initial Cygnus spacecraft 15 The Standard Cygnus being unberthed from the Harmony module The fourth and all subsequent Cygnus spacecraft are planned to be of the Enhanced variant as the standard variant has been retired 16 These will use a stretched 1 800 kilogram empty weight PCM which increases the interior volume to 27 m3 and the service module will use Orbital ATK Ultraflex solar arrays which will provide the same amount of power as the previous solar arrays but at a lower mass 12 16 A new upper stage built by Orbital ATK the Castor 30XL will be used in conjunction with the enhanced Cygnus because of the more powerful upper stage and the lighter solar arrays the payload that Cygnus can deliver to the ISS will be increased by 700 kg 17 During nominal CRS missions Cygnus maneuvers close to the International Space Station where the Canadarm2 robotic arm grapples the spacecraft and berths it to a Common Berthing Mechanism on the Harmony module in a similar fashion to the Japanese H II Transfer Vehicle and the retired SpaceX Dragon 12 but not the other active American CRS Dragon 2 vehicle which docks autonomously For typical missions Cygnus is planned to remain berthed for about 30 days 18 19 Unlike Dragon 2 and the earlier Dragon Cygnus does not provide cargo return capability However it can be loaded with obsolete equipment and trash for destructive reentry similar to the Russian Progress vehicles 20 A formerly planned variant of Cygnus would have replaced the PCM with the Unpressurized Cargo Module UCM based on NASA s ExPRESS Logistics Carrier and would have been used to transport unpressurized cargo such as ISS Orbital Replacement Units 6 21 Another proposed variant would have replaced the PCM with the Return Cargo Module RCM which would have allowed Cygnus to return cargo to Earth 6 Lunar Gateway module variant Edit In August 2019 NASA decided to sole source its design for the Minimal Habitation Module now known as the Habitation and Logistics Outpost or HALO of the Lunar Gateway to Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems which offered a minimalist 6 1 meter 20 feet by 3 meter 9 8 feet design based directly on the Enhanced Cygnus as well as a larger 7 meter 22 9 feet by 4 4 meter 14 4 feet design also based on the Cygnus 22 23 to the outside of which radial docking ports body mounted radiators BMRs batteries and communications antennae will be added Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems opted to build the minimalist design which offered the advantage of component compatibility and expedited testing of life support systems on existing Cygnus spacecraft 24 25 On 5 June 2020 NASA awarded Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems a 187 million contract to complete the preliminary design of HALO NASA will sign a separate contract with Northrop for the fabrication of the HALO and for integration with the Power and Propulsion Element PPE being built by Maxar 24 25 Missions EditList includes only missions that have flown and five planned missions As of November 2022 update one mission is currently planned to be launched from Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0A on the one remaining Antares 230 rocket three are to be launched on the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral SLC 40 and one from Wallops on an Antares 330 26 The PCM of each mission thus far has been named after a deceased NASA staffer mostly astronauts Cygnus spacecraft missions Mission Patch Payload Variant Launch date Rocket Payload mass Outcome Ref 0 Cygnus Mass Simulator Cygnus Payload Simulator N A 21 April 2013 21 00 00 UTC Antares 110 Success 27 28 First Antares launch demonstrated Antares s performance and capability to place its payload on a precise target orbit 29 1 Orb D1G David Low Cygnus 1Orbital Sciences COTS Demo Flight Standard 18 September 2013 14 58 00 UTC Antares 110 1 299 lb 589 kg Success 30 31 27 32 First Cygnus mission first mission to rendezvous with ISS first mission to berth with ISS second launch of Antares The rendezvous between the new Cygnus cargo freighter and the International Space Station was delayed due to a computer data link problem 33 but the issue was resolved and berthing followed shortly thereafter 34 2 Orb 1C Gordon Fullerton Orbital 1 Standard 9 January 2014 18 07 05 UTC Antares 120 2 780 lb 1 260 kg Success 31 27 35 32 First Commercial Resupply Service CRS mission for Cygnus first Antares launch using the Castor 30B upperstage 3 Orb 2Janice E Voss Orbital Sciences CRS Flight 2 Standard 13 July 2014 16 52 14 UTC Antares 120 3 293 lb 1 494 kg Success 27 32 Second Commercial Resupply Service CRS mission for Cygnus 4 Orb 3Deke Slayton Orbital Sciences CRS Flight 3 Standard 28 October 2014 22 22 38 UTC Antares 130 4 883 lb 2 215 kg Failure 36 32 First Antares launch to use Castor 30XL upperstage delayed due to boat in launch safe zone Second takeoff attempt suffered a catastrophic anomaly resulting in an explosion shortly after launch Contents of the cargo included food and care packages for the crew parts experiments and the Arkyd 3 Flight Test Non optical Satellite from Planetary Resources 5 OA 4Deke Slayton II Orbital ATK CRS Flight 4 Enhanced 6 December 2015 21 44 57 UTC Atlas V 401 7 746 lb 3 514 kg Success 37 38 32 First Enhanced Cygnus mission Orbital Sciences contracted with United Launch Alliance to launch this Cygnus on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 6 OA 6Rick Husband Orbital ATK CRS Flight 6 Enhanced 23 March 2016 03 05 52 UTC Atlas V 401 7 758 lb 3 519 kg Success 37 39 38 40 32 Second mission to fly on an Atlas V Orbital Sciences had an option with United Launch Alliance to conduct a third Cygnus launch on an Atlas V rocket if necessary 7 OA 5Alan Poindexter Orbital ATK CRS Flight 5 Enhanced 17 October 2016 23 45 36 UTC Antares 230 5 163 lb 2 342 kg Success 41 42 43 The Antares 230 rocket carrying Cygnus lifted off at 23 45 36 UTC 17 October 2016 Successful rendezvous was achieved on 23 October 2016 at 14 53 UTC 8 OA 7John Glenn Orbital ATK CRS Flight 7 Enhanced 18 April 2017 15 11 26 UTC Atlas V 401 7 443 lb 3 376 kg Success 44 45 39 38 40 32 9 OA 8EGene Cernan Orbital ATK CRS Flight 8 Enhanced 12 November 2017 12 19 51 UTC Antares 230 7 359 lb 3 338 kg Success 46 45 39 38 40 11 November 2017 launch was scrubbed just before launch when a general aviation aircraft entered the hazard zone and did not respond to calls 47 10 OA 9EJ R Thompson Orbital ATK CRS Flight 9 Enhanced 21 May 2018 08 44 06 UTC Antares 230 7 385 lb 3 350 kg Success 48 49 It became the first time a commercial vehicle performed ISS reboosting when at 20 25 UTC on July 10 2018 Cygnus s main engine was fired for about 50 seconds Although it was just a reboost test it still raised the altitude by about 295 feet according to NASA 50 11 NG 10John Young Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 10 Enhanced 17 November 2018 09 01 31 UTC Antares 230 7 386 lb 3 350 kg Success 51 52 12 NG 11Roger Chaffee Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 11 Enhanced 17 April 2019 20 46 07 UTC Antares 230 7 575 lb 3 436 kg Success 53 13 NG 12Alan Bean Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 12 Enhanced 2 November 2019 13 59 47 UTC Antares 230 8 221 lb 3 729 kg Success14 NG 13Robert H Lawrence Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 13 Enhanced 15 February 2020 20 21 01 UTC Antares 230 8 009 lb 3 633 kg Success 54 9 February 2020 launch was scrubbed due to a ground support issue 55 15 NG 14Kalpana Chawla Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 14 Enhanced 3 October 2020 01 16 14 UTC Antares 230 7 624 lb 3 458 kg Success 56 1 October 2020 launch delayed at 11 00 due to boat in range 57 1 October 2020 launch was scrubbed due to a ground support issue 58 16 NG 15Katherine Johnson Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 15 Enhanced 20 February 2021 17 36 50 UTC Antares 230 8 400 lb 3 800 kg Success17 NG 16Ellison Onizuka Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 16 Enhanced 10 August 2021 22 01 05 UTC Antares 230 8 208 lb 3 723 kg Success 59 18 NG 17Piers Sellers Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 17 Enhanced 19 February 2022 17 40 03 UTC Antares 230 8 049 lb 3 651 kg SuccessPerformed the first operational limited reboost of ISS by a commercial vehicle on 25 June 2022 after it was aborted after few seconds on 20 June 2022 60 61 19 NG 18Sally Ride Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 18 Enhanced 7 November 2022 10 32 42 UTC Antares 230 8 173 lb 3 707 kg Success 62 63 64 6 November 2022 scrubbed due to fire alarm in mission control 65 20 NG 19TBA TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 19 Enhanced March 2023 63 Antares 230 TBA TBA21 NG 20TBA TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 20 Enhanced H2 2023 26 Falcon 9 Block 5 TBA TBAFirst mission to fly on a Falcon 9 22 NG 21TBA TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 21 Enhanced H1 2024 26 Falcon 9 Block 5 TBA TBA23 NG 22TBA TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 22 Enhanced H2 2024 26 Falcon 9 Block 5 TBA TBA24 NG 23TBA TBA Northrop Grumman CRS Flight 23 Enhanced H2 2024 26 Antares 330 TBA TBAFirst flight of the Antares 330 In March 2022 NASA ordered six additional flights Cygnus NG 20 to NG 25 to resupply the ISS through 2026 66 See also EditSpace Shuttle retirement Comparison of space station cargo vehiclesReferences Edit The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation 2012 PDF Federal Aviation Administration February 2012 Retrieved 8 February 2013 a b NASA Taps SpaceX Orbital Sciences to Haul Cargo to Space Station Space com 2008 12 23 Retrieved 2011 03 01 Time Runs out for RpK New COTS Competition Starts Immediately Space com 2007 10 19 Retrieved 2011 03 01 Bergin Chris 2008 02 19 Orbital beat a dozen competitors to win NASA COTS contract NASASpaceflight com Retrieved 2015 08 14 Orbital Unveils Full Scale Cygnus Model Orbital Retrieved April 1 2010 a b c Space Act Agreement with NASA and Orbital for COTS PDF NASA 2008 02 27 Retrieved 30 March 2012 Orbital Sciences To Build Taurus II AviationWeek com Retrieved 2011 03 01 a b Byerly Josh Perrotto Trent J September 2013 NASA Partner Orbital Sciences Launches Demonstration Mission to Space Station Press RELEASE 13 284 Press release NASA Retrieved September 19 2013 Christmas delivery finally for space station January 12 2014 Gebhardt Chris 2015 08 31 Enhanced Cygnus to help Orbital ATK meet CRS contract by 2017 NASASpaceflight com Retrieved 2015 08 31 ISS Cygnus Satellite Missions eoPortal Directory a b c d ISS Payload Opportunities on Cygnus PDF Orbital Sciences Corporation 2015 Retrieved 2016 07 09 The Cygnus cargo ship NG 14 Mission Profile PDF Northrop Grumman Retrieved November 5 2022 Peter B de Selding 2009 11 12 Dutch Space to Build Solar Arrays for Orbital s Cygnus Cargo Tug Space News Archived from the original on September 10 2012 a b Cygnus Enhanced Spacecraft to Use Ultraflex Solar Arrays Orbital Sciences November 2011 Retrieved March 30 2012 Bergin Chris 2012 02 22 Space industry giants Orbital upbeat ahead of Antares debut NasaSpaceflight not affiliated with NASA Retrieved 29 March 2012 NASA Advisory Council Space Operations Committee PDF NASA July 2010 Retrieved 15 April 2012 Antares A ONE Pre flight Briefing NASA 16 April 2013 Archived from the original on 2021 12 21 Retrieved 22 April 2013 Typical mission will be about 30 days including the rendezvous the time aboard station the time to de orbit We could extend that to 60 or 90 at NASA s request however once we separate from the space station the spacecraft itself depending on its fuel load could probably fly easily for another year in terms of what the components are certified for Cygnus Advanced Manoeuvring Spacecraft Fact Sheet PDF European Space Agency 2010 09 01 Retrieved 2 April 2012 Whitesides Loretta 2008 02 20 Orbital Sciences Scores NASA s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services COTS Award Worth 170M Wired Retrieved 30 March 2012 Foust Jeff 23 July 2019 NASA to sole source Gateway habitation module to Northrop Grumman SpaceNews Retrieved 11 December 2019 Messier Doug 23 July 2019 NASA Awards Contract to Northrop Grumman for Gateway Habitat Module Parabolic Arc Retrieved 11 December 2019 a b NASA signs Gateway habitat design contract with Northrop Grumman Spaceflight Now 9 June 2020 Retrieved 13 August 2020 a b Gebhardt Chris 7 August 2020 Northrop Grumman outlines HALO plans for Gateway s central module NASASpaceflight com Retrieved 13 August 2020 a b c d e Evans Ben 12 August 2022 Antares 330 Targets NET Mid 2024 Launch SpaceX to Fly Three Cygnus Missions AmericaSpace Retrieved 21 August 2022 a b c d Worldwide launch schedule spaceflightnow com Archived from the original on 11 September 2013 Retrieved 9 August 2013 Stephen Clark 21 April 2013 Antares test launch paves new highway to space station Spaceflight Now Retrieved 4 June 2018 Graham William 2013 04 21 Antares conducts a flawless maiden launch NASASpaceFlight Retrieved 2018 06 04 First flight of Cygnus cargo craft delayed to September Spaceflight Now 6 May 2013 Retrieved 7 August 2013 a b Pearlman Robert Z 9 December 2013 Orbital Sciences Names Next Private Space Station Freighter for NASA Astronaut collectSpace com Retrieved 9 December 2013 a b c d e f g Justin Ray 4 November 2016 Atlas 5 rocket to launch space station cargo delivery mission in March Spaceflight Now Retrieved 5 November 2016 Computer mishap delays space station supply ship Va company says arrival at least 2 days off Washington Post Archived from the original on 22 September 2013 Retrieved 22 September 2013 Bergin Chris 2013 09 28 Orbital s Cygnus successfully berthed on the ISS NASASpaceFlight Retrieved 2013 10 08 ISS Commercial Resupply Services Mission Orb 1 Orbital Sciences Retrieved 8 January 2014 Worldwide launch schedule spaceflightnow com Archived from the original on 11 September 2013 Retrieved 21 December 2013 a b Kramer Miriam 2014 12 09 Private Cargo Spacecraft Gets New Rocket Ride After Accident Space com Retrieved 2015 08 12 a b c d Orbital ATK Team on Track for Fall 2015 Cygnus Mission and Antares Return to Flight in 2016 Orbital ATK 2015 08 12 Retrieved 2015 08 12 a b c Orbital ATK Updates Progress on International Space Station Cargo Delivery Program for NASA Orbital ATK 2015 08 12 Retrieved 2015 08 12 a b c Orbital ATK Orders Second Atlas 5 Leaves Door Open for More SpaceNews com 2015 08 12 Retrieved 2015 08 12 Foust Jeff 13 September 2016 Antares return to flight now planned for early October spacenews com Retrieved 14 September 2016 NASA 30 March 2015 Orbital ATK Launch Updates Retrieved 18 October 2016 Cygnus Attached to Station s Unity Module Space Station blogs nasa gov Retrieved 2016 10 24 Ray Justin 4 June 2017 S S John Glenn freighter departs space station after successful cargo delivery Spaceflight Now Retrieved 6 June 2017 a b Cargo Resupply Services Orbital Sciences Archived from the original on 11 December 2013 Retrieved 8 December 2013 Clark Stephen 28 April 2017 Launch Schedule Spaceflight Now Retrieved 28 April 2017 Campbell Lloyd 11 November 2017 Antares OA 8 Launch Scrubbed SpaceFlight Insider Archived from the original on 11 November 2017 Clark Stephen 21 May 2018 Antares rocket launch kicks off space station s next commercial cargo delivery Spaceflight Now Retrieved 23 May 2018 Clark Stephen 15 July 2018 Cygnus cargo ship released from space station heads for extended mission Spaceflight Now Retrieved 14 August 2018 Northrop Grumman s OA 9 Cygnus leaves International Space Station 15 July 2018 Leone Dan 2015 08 17 NASA Orders Two More ISS Cargo Missions From Orbital ATK SpaceNews com Retrieved 2015 08 17 NG 10 Antares rocket launches successfully from NASA Wallops to ISS Delmarva Daily Times Retrieved 2018 11 17 Clark Stephen Live coverage Countdown begins for Antares launch from Virginia Spaceflight Now Retrieved 2019 04 17 Yan Isabelle 14 February 2020 Latest Weather Update for Northrop Grumman s CRS 13 Launch 85 Favorable nasa gov NASA Retrieved 14 February 2020 Bartels Meghan Malik Tariq 9 February 2020 Northrop Grumman aborts Cygnus cargo launch to space station Space com Gohd Chelsea 2 October 2020 Antares rocket launches new astronaut toilet and more to space station for NASA Space com Retrieved 3 October 2020 Powers Kelly 2 October 2020 NASA Wallops scrubs NG 14 mission rocket launch toward ISS Thursday The Daily Times Retrieved 3 October 2020 Malik Tariq 2 October 2020 Northrop Grumman aborts launch of Antares rocket carrying NASA cargo minutes before liftoff Space com Retrieved 3 October 2020 NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman s August Launch from Virginia NASA Press release 7 July 2021 Retrieved 7 July 2021 Northrop Grumman rocket launches Cygnus cargo ship on 2 day trip to space station Space com 19 February 2022 Schedule of ISS flight events part 2 forum nasaspaceflight com Retrieved 2022 06 16 Garner Rob 7 November 2022 Liftoff of Northrop Grumman s CRS 18 Antares Rocket NASA s Northrop Grumman CRS 18 Commercial Resupply Mission NASA Blogs Retrieved 7 November 2022 a b Clark Stephen 27 October 2022 Launch Schedule Spaceflight Now Retrieved 27 October 2022 Mars Kelli November 2022 Overview for Northrop Grumman s 18th Commercial Resupply Mission NASA Retrieved 8 November 2022 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Garner Rob 6 November 2022 Today s Launch Postponed NASA s Northrop Grumman CRS 18 Commercial Resupply Mission NASA Blogs Retrieved 7 November 2022 NASA Orders Additional Cargo Flights to Space Station NASA 25 March 2022 Retrieved 25 March 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cygnus spacecraft Orbital Sciences news page for Cygnus NASA Commercial Resupply Mission Update Northrop Grumman Thales Alenia Space page for Cygnus Computer animation of the Standard Cygnus delivering cargo to the ISS YoutubePortal Spaceflight Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cygnus spacecraft amp oldid 1123869505, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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