Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus Spacecraft Successfully Completes Rendezvous and Berthing with International Space Station

“S.S. John Young” delivers approximately 7,400 pounds of cargo to the station

Dulles, Va. – Nov. 19 2018 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC)  today announced that the “S.S. John Young” Cygnus™ spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and berthing maneuvers with the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this morning. The mission marks the company’s 10th successful berthing with the orbiting laboratory.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft is shown moments after capture by the International Space Station’s robotic arm. Credit: NASA TV

Cygnus launched aboard a Northrop Grumman Antares™ rocket on Nov. 17, 2018 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A on Wallops Island, Virginia. As the spacecraft moved closer to the space station over the following few days, Cygnus executed a series of thruster burns to raise its orbit. Once the spacecraft was in close range, crew members on board the space station grappled the spacecraft with the station’s robotic arm at 5:28 a.m. EST. Cygnus was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the station’s Unity module and officially installed on to the space station at 7:31 a.m. EST.

“With the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station tomorrow, we stand with NASA as a proud mission partner in support of the ISS as a premier research facility in space,” said Frank Culbertson, president, space systems group, Northrop Grumman. “Our dedication of Cygnus in honor of NASA astronaut John Young is a fitting tribute to his efforts to enable future astronauts to live and work there to advance space exploration.”

Cygnus arrived at the space station with nearly 7,400 pounds (approximately 3,350 kilograms) of cargo, supplies and scientific experiments. The crew is now scheduled to open Cygnus’ hatch and make initial ingress into the cargo module to begin unloading the pressurized cargo. Cygnus will remain docked at the station for approximately two months before departing on secondary missions.

Once Cygnus is unberthed from the station, it will reposition to deploy three CubeSats via the NanoRacks External Cygnus Deployment Program from both above and below the space station. This specific satellite deployment operation marks the first dual altitude deployment for Cygnus, demonstrating the spacecraft’s capability beyond cargo delivery and removal.

The CubeSat known as MYSat-1 is among NanoRacks’ customers to be deployed and marks the first satellite developed by Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). MYSat-1 was developed as part of Khalifa’s Space Systems and Technology Concentration, a joint program established in 2015 in collaboration with UAE-based satellite operator Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) and Northrop Grumman. Engineers from both companies helped develop the initial curriculum for the concentration, and provided guidance and mentorship during the design phase of the MYSat-1 satellite.

Cygnus is also prepared to execute on the inaugural flight for the Slingshot CubeSat Deployer System which is another example of the cargo vehicle’s ability to meet multiple customer needs. Slingshot is a flexible platform that can fly hosted payloads and CubeSats. NASA astronauts will install the system on Cygnus after the primary mission is completed. Upon completion of its secondary missions, Cygnus will perform a safe, destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

From Space Station Cargo Delivery to Deep Space Crew Habitats: Northrop Grumman’s Versatile Cygnus Spacecraft

With approximately 7,400 pounds of science experiments, tools and food tightly packed inside, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft was launched aboard an Antares rocket and began its journey to the International Space Station on Monday, May 21. Just three days later, the spacecraft reached its destination where it was greeted with a warm welcome from astronauts awaiting its arrival. This mission marks the company’s ninth cargo delivery to the orbiting laboratory. While the delivery of cargo and removal of trash has become almost routine for the cargo module, each mission is unique and continues to demonstrate the capabilities of the Cygnus spacecraft.

The Cygnus resupply ship with its round, brass-colored UltraFlex solar arrays is guided to its port on the Unity module shortly after it was captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm on May 24, 2018. (Credit: NASA)

For this mission, Cygnus was named after J.R. Thompson, a distinguished leader in the aerospace industry. On May 24, the S.S. J.R. Thompson docked with the International Space Station before beginning the second phase of its mission. On July 10, Cygnus marked a major milestone as the first U.S. spacecraft to perform an altitude reboost of the International Space Station since the space shuttle fleet retired in 2011. A 50-second firing of the spacecraft’s engines raised the orbiting laboratory’s altitude by about 295 feet. Reboosts are a routine station maneuver that occur several times a year. The station orbits in an area where there is just enough residual atmosphere to cause drag on the vehicle which lowers its altitude over time. Reboosts raise the station back up, typically a couple of kilometers at a time.

Upon leaving the International Space Station on July 15, Cygnus released six cube satellites from the attached Nanoracks deployer before performing a safe and destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Although the removal of garbage may not seem like an exciting task, it is a critical part of keeping the station safe and clean for astronauts to work. In past missions, Cygnus has also been used as an extension of the space station by serving as a scientific platform, demonstrating its ability to expand the station’s capabilities for hosting experiments.

The S.S. J.R. Thompson is grappled by the International Space Station's Canadarm2 on May 24. (Credit: NASA)

But these are just the beginnings of Cygnus’s capabilities. In preparation for future crewed trips to deep space, Northrop Grumman has already begun the process of evolving Cygnus beyond low Earth orbit with the completion of Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Phase 1. For this initiative, NASA asked companies to conduct concept studies and explore technology needed for deep space exploration. To help achieve this goal, Northrop Grumman has turned its attention to the demonstrated versatility of Cygnus. NextSTEP Phase 2 is now underway, and the company is maturing the technology and design to construct on-ground simulators of a deep space habitat.

Northrop Grumman has used computer simulations to demonstrate that the company could possibly launch a habitat module aboard NASA's heavy lift Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with a crewed Orion capsule. On this potential mission, Cygnus would deploy as an initial habitat in cislunar space. When the Orion capsule and its crew return to Earth, the module would remain, operating autonomously, serving as a platform for experiments and potentially as a destination for future crewed missions.

Artist concept of a Cygnus-derived deep space habitat and logistics modules.

Eventually, additional modules would be added to the habitat, creating a cislunar outpost, and could even serve as disposable vehicles to deliver crew supplies and experiments. The modularity of the system allows for additional segments, including a node to provide supplemental docking ports that would allow for multiple visiting vehicles. Ultimately, crewed missions would help mature technologies for long duration human space exploration, including a trip to Mars.

In the meantime, Northrop Grumman will continue to meet the requirements of the Commercial Resupply Services contract (CRS) delivering cargo to the International Space Station. Under the current contract, CRS-1, Northrop Grumman will deliver approximately 66,000 pounds of cargo to the station, and beginning in 2019, the company will carry out a minimum of six initial cargo missions under the CRS-2 contract. This partnership is helping to cultivate a robust American commercial space industry.

Second Space Station mission for Alexander Gerst begins

Paris, 8 June 2018

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst arrived at the International Space Station this morning together with NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor and Roscosmos commander Sergei Prokopyev, marking the start of Alexander’s Horizons mission.

The trio were launched into space on 6 June at 11:12 GMT (13:12 CEST) in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

After 34 orbits of Earth over two days, the three astronauts aligned their spacecraft with the 400-tonne International Space Station and approached the orbital outpost for docking. The two days were spent in the cramped orbital module of the Soyuz that is no larger than a car. With limited communications and living space the astronauts had time to adapt to weightlessness and reflect on their mission ahead.

The Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft arrived at the 400-tonne International Space Station on 8 June at 13:01 GMT (15:01 CEST) and docked to the Rassvet module. After standard but thorough checks to ensure an airtight connection between the two spaceships the hatches were opened at 15:17 GMT (17:17 CEST) to let Alexander, Serena and Sergei into their home and workplace for the next six months.

During the second part of his mission, Alexander will take over as commander of the International Space Station, only the second European to do so, after Belgian ESA astronaut Frank de Winne in 2009. ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano will be the third European commander next year during his mission in 2019 – a show of trust in European know-how and training for space by the Space Station’s international partners.

Horizons

The mission is called Horizons as a symbol for the unknown and what lies beyond. The mission further cements ESA’s know-how for living and working off-planet. Alexander will be testing ways of operating and working with robots to develop techniques required for further human and robotic exploration of our Solar System such as commanding rovers while orbiting another planet.

Plans to build an international gateway between the Moon and Earth are being discussed this month with Europe supplying key parts such as a habitation module and the service module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft to ferry astronauts, supplies and parts.

An advanced life-support system built in Friedrichshafen, Germany, is set for launch and installation while Alexander is on board. It will allow for humans to live farther away from Earth as it requires less frequent supplies through better recycling of air and water. Next year the Space Station’s communications will get a significant upgrade through a European laser communications system installed outside Columbus that connects to the European Data Relay System.

Research in microgravity

Alexander’s Horizons science programme is packed with European research: he will take part in over 50 experiments to deliver benefits to people on Earth as well as prepare for future space exploration. Many of these experiments will take place in Europe’s Columbus laboratory that is celebrating its 10th anniversary in space this year.Easier and continued access to humanity’s micro-gravity laboratory for researchers has been secured with the installation of the first European commercial micro-gravity research service ICE Cubes earlier this week. For a fixed fee any research team can run an experiment inside the European space laboratory Columbus.

Preparing the future

All these activities fit within the European exploration strategy that brings new knowledge, innovation and inspiration to European citizens built around international cooperation to bring societies around the world together. ESA is preparing exciting programmes with our international partners to build a low-Earth orbit economy, return humans to the Moon and bring samples back from Mars.