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Due to persistent drenching downpours Northrop Grumman Antares rocket on the Cygnus NG-10 cargo mission had to stay another two days atop the On-Ramp
to the International
Space Station at pad 0A on NASA’s
Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Launch now reset to Nov. 17 at 4:01 a.m. EST. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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Ken Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM --16
November 2018
NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY, VA – After a two day delay due to drenching rainstormsand heavy winds inundating NASA’s launch base on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a Northrop Grumman Antares commercial rocket is now scheduled to launch in a few hours during a middle-of-the-night blastoff Saturday, November 17 on a cargo resupply mission bound for the International Space Station (ISS) carrying nearly 4 tons of science and supplies for the multinational crew - including the 1st ever ‘recycling refabricator’.
Liftoff of Northrop Grumman’s upgraded Antares 230 configuration rocket is scheduled for 4:01 a.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 from seaside pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at the Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia.
That’s roughly 2 hours
before sunrise and should make for an absolutely stunning sight along the
Eastern seaboard – home to America’s most densely populated region.
And superb weather conditions are forecast Saturday, Nov. 15 of greater than 95% favorable conditions in complete contrast to the initial targeted launch dates of Thursday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 16 of over 90% unfavorable conditions at launch time.
“Today’s Wallops range forecast predicts excellent conditions for launch [Nov 17], with less than a 5 percent chance of a weather-related concern,” NASA reported today.
“The storm system that produced high winds and heavy rain on Thursday is currently exiting the region and moving off quickly to the northeast. Windy conditions will continue through the morning hours before beginning to subside this afternoon as the area of low pressure moves farther away and high pressure builds closer to the Wallops area.”
NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY, VA – After a two day delay due to drenching rainstormsand heavy winds inundating NASA’s launch base on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a Northrop Grumman Antares commercial rocket is now scheduled to launch in a few hours during a middle-of-the-night blastoff Saturday, November 17 on a cargo resupply mission bound for the International Space Station (ISS) carrying nearly 4 tons of science and supplies for the multinational crew - including the 1st ever ‘recycling refabricator’.
Liftoff of Northrop Grumman’s upgraded Antares 230 configuration rocket is scheduled for 4:01 a.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 from seaside pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at the Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia.
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Oceanside view of Northrop
Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus NG-10 cargo freighter aboard bound for the International
Space Station, is seen on Pad-0A, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Poor
weather forced launch postponement to Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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And superb weather conditions are forecast Saturday, Nov. 15 of greater than 95% favorable conditions in complete contrast to the initial targeted launch dates of Thursday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 16 of over 90% unfavorable conditions at launch time.
“Today’s Wallops range forecast predicts excellent conditions for launch [Nov 17], with less than a 5 percent chance of a weather-related concern,” NASA reported today.
“The storm system that produced high winds and heavy rain on Thursday is currently exiting the region and moving off quickly to the northeast. Windy conditions will continue through the morning hours before beginning to subside this afternoon as the area of low pressure moves farther away and high pressure builds closer to the Wallops area.”
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Ponds surround Northrop Grumman
Antares rocket after days of rain, with Cygnus NG-10 cargo freighter aboard bound for the International Space
Station, is seen on Pad-0A, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, at NASA’s Wallops Flight
Facility in Virginia. Poor weather forced launch postponement to Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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You can watch the launch live on NASA TV and
the agency’s website.
The launch window opens at 4:01 a.m. EST and extends for 5 minutes total until 4:06 a.m. EST.
Launch coverage and commentary on NASA TV and streaming online at nasa.gov/live will begin at 3:30 a.m. EST Nov. 17.
“When accessed from a smartphone browser, the Wallops Mission Status Center website can provide specific viewing information based on your location. Live coverage of the mission is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. EST Nov. 16 on the Wallops video and audio Ustream sites.”
Backup launch opportunities
exist on Sunday and Monday in case of a delay for any reason including
technical and weather issues.
If Antares launches on
Saturday, Cygnus starts a two day chase to arrive at the station on Monday,
Nov. 19 for robotic arm capture and berthing at the Earth-facing port on Unity
orbiting some 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
The rocket is ready to launch when the weather cooperates.
“The combined systems test of the rocket, payload, and range was completed,” said Kurt Eberly, Antares program manager VP at Northrop Grumman.
The countdown starts at T Minus 6 hours 15 minutes before liftoff. Fueling begins at T Minus 1.6 hours.
Whenever Cygnus does fly this will be NASA’s 5 cargo resupply mission of 2018 and 1more is also planned by SpaceX on NET Dec. 4, said Montelbano.
Cygnus will deliver
vital equipment, supplies and scientific equipment to the space station as part
of Northrop Grumman’s Commercial Resupply Services-1 (CRS-1) contract with NASA
– totaling 11 cargo flights.
“NG-10 is the next to last followed by NG-11 next spring under the CRS-1 contract,” said Northrop Grummans Kurt Eberly.
“Northrop Grumman also has been awarded the follow-on CRS-2 contract from NASA comprising at least 6 more cargo missions.”
To date, Cygnus
spacecraft have delivered more than 23,000 kilograms of cargo to the
International Space Station, and removed 17,000 kilograms of disposable
cargo.
The prior Cygnus cargo freighter was successfully launched by an Antares 230 vehicle from Wallops on May 21, 2018 on the Orbital ATK OA-9 resupply mission for NASA before the company merged with Northrop Grumman.
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area
.………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
The launch window opens at 4:01 a.m. EST and extends for 5 minutes total until 4:06 a.m. EST.
Launch coverage and commentary on NASA TV and streaming online at nasa.gov/live will begin at 3:30 a.m. EST Nov. 17.
“When accessed from a smartphone browser, the Wallops Mission Status Center website can provide specific viewing information based on your location. Live coverage of the mission is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. EST Nov. 16 on the Wallops video and audio Ustream sites.”
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The launch of Northrop
Grumman’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, scheduled for 4:01
a.m. EST on Nov. 17, 2018, may be visible throughout the Mid-Atlantic,
depending on local conditions. Credit: NASA/Stephan
Wlodarczyk
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Technicians work at base of
Antares rocket raised at pad 0A atop launch mount and above flame trench at NASA’s
Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Launch reset for Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018
after weather delays. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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Cygnus will be loaded with cargo up to 3,350 kg (7,385 lb.)
comprising science experiments, research gear,
food, water, spare parts, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to support the Expedition 57 and 58 crews and over 250 new and ongoing research
investigations.
The rocket is ready to launch when the weather cooperates.
“The combined systems test of the rocket, payload, and range was completed,” said Kurt Eberly, Antares program manager VP at Northrop Grumman.
The countdown starts at T Minus 6 hours 15 minutes before liftoff. Fueling begins at T Minus 1.6 hours.
Whenever Cygnus does fly this will be NASA’s 5 cargo resupply mission of 2018 and 1more is also planned by SpaceX on NET Dec. 4, said Montelbano.
Cygnus NG-10 will remain at the station for
approximately 3 months.
The Cygnus NG-10 cargo freighter, built by Northrop Grumman Corporation, was christened the ‘S.S. John Young’ - in memory of John Young who was NASA’s longest serving astronaut and passed away earlier this year in January at age 87.
The S.S. John Young cargo resupply freighter is jam packed and will
deliver nearly 4 tons of research experiments and station hardware and crew
supplies to the trio of astronauts and cosmonauts living aboard the orbiting
science outpost after blastoff atop the 2 stage Antares 230 version rocket.
NG-10 counts as Northrop Grumman’s 10th station resupply cargo mission for NASA.
Here’s a breakdown of the manifest aboard Cygnus NG-10 which includes:
Crew Supplies: 2,515.5 lbs. / 1,141 kg
The Cygnus NG-10 cargo freighter, built by Northrop Grumman Corporation, was christened the ‘S.S. John Young’ - in memory of John Young who was NASA’s longest serving astronaut and passed away earlier this year in January at age 87.
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The Northrop Grumman built Cygnus NG-10 cargo spacecraft
is prepped inside clean room High Bay facility at NASA Wallops and named in
honor NASA astronaut and Apollo 16 moonwalker John Young on Oct. 24, 2018. Blastoff on Antares rocket is slated for Nov.
17, 2018 from pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
in Virginia bound for the International Space Station. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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NG-10 counts as Northrop Grumman’s 10th station resupply cargo mission for NASA.
Here’s a breakdown of the manifest aboard Cygnus NG-10 which includes:
Crew Supplies: 2,515.5 lbs. / 1,141 kg
Science Investigations: 2,301.6 lbs. / 1,044 kg
Spacewalk Equipment: 68.3 lbs. / 31 kg
Vehicle Hardware: 2,076.8 lbs. / 942 kg
Computer Resources: 253.5 lbs. / 115 kg
Total Cargo: 7,385.5 lbs. / 3,350 kg
Total Pressurized Cargo with Packaging: 7,215.8
lbs. / 3,273 kg
Unpressurized Cargo (NanoRacks Deployer): 169.8
lbs. / 77 kg
Among the research items on board will be the first integrated 3D printer and
recycler and refabricator to aid NASA’s Deep Space
exploration efforts.
“It will turn waste plastic materials aboard the station into high-quality 3D-printer filament to create tools and materials, a key capability for future long-duration space missions beyond low-Earth orbit,” according to NASA.
Watch this NASA video highlighting some of the science including the ‘refabricator'.
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Dr. Allison Porter,
flight missions manager at Tethers Unlimited Inc., with a mock-up of the Refabricator, a combination 3D printer and
recycler, headed to the International Space Station aboard NG-10. In Porter’s
hand is a roll of 3D printer filament shown during the Nov. 13, 2018 science
briefing at NASA Wallops. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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“It will turn waste plastic materials aboard the station into high-quality 3D-printer filament to create tools and materials, a key capability for future long-duration space missions beyond low-Earth orbit,” according to NASA.
Watch this NASA video highlighting some of the science including the ‘refabricator'.
Video Caption: A "Refabricator" for sustainable ♻ in-space manufacturing and a
multifunctional cell culture platform or "lab-on-a-chip" are just
some of the science investigations heading to the International Space Station.
They're on board Northrop Grumman's Cygnus resupply flight 10 (CRS-10),
launching in mid-November on the Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight
Facility. More: https://go.nasa.gov/2SVf82d. Credit: NASA
“NG-10 is the next to last followed by NG-11 next spring under the CRS-1 contract,” said Northrop Grummans Kurt Eberly.
“Northrop Grumman also has been awarded the follow-on CRS-2 contract from NASA comprising at least 6 more cargo missions.”
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Two new Russian-built NPO Energomash RD-181 engines
at the base of Northrop Grumman Antares rocket first stage that will power the NG-11
cargo resupply mission to the ISS scheduled in spring 2019 undergo processing inside
the
Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) at NASA’s Wallops Flight
Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. They
are fueled by LOX and RP-1 kerosene. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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The prior Cygnus cargo freighter was successfully launched by an Antares 230 vehicle from Wallops on May 21, 2018 on the Orbital ATK OA-9 resupply mission for NASA before the company merged with Northrop Grumman.
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area
.………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
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