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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.
15, 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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Ken Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com -- 25 October 2018
NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY, VA – The next Cygnus spacecraft flying critical American science experiments and cargo bound for the International Space Station (ISS) has been named in honor of John Young – one of NASA’s & America's most renowned astronauts who became the 9th human to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission in 1972 and commanded the first Space Shuttle mission in 1981.
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.
NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY, VA – The next Cygnus spacecraft flying critical American science experiments and cargo bound for the International Space Station (ISS) has been named in honor of John Young – one of NASA’s & America's most renowned astronauts who became the 9th human to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission in 1972 and commanded the first Space Shuttle mission in 1981.
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 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 with blastoff atop the 2 stage
Antares rocket scheduled in approximately
three weeks' time on Nov. 15 on Northrop Grumman's 10th station
resupply cargo mission for NASA.
Among the research items on board will be a 3D printer/fabricator to aid NASA’s Deep Space exploration efforts.
Among the research items on board will be a 3D printer/fabricator to aid NASA’s Deep Space exploration efforts.
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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. 15, 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
|
The John Young dedication announcement was made by Rick
Mastracchio, former NASA astronaut and current senior director of
Commercial Resupply Services for Northrop Grumman, on Wednesday, Oct. 24,
at a naming ceremony held with Cygnus inside the H-100 cleanroom High Bay processing
facility at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on the Virginia shore - with NASA, company officials and news
media in attendance including Space UpClose.
Enjoy my exclusive Space UpClose gallery of Cygnus & Antares photos herein.
“We are thrilled to announce that the Cygnus spacecraft for our 10th operational cargo resupply mission launch to the International Space Station is named in honor of John Young - one of the legends of space travel and one of my personal heroes,” Mastracchio said. Young was an accomplished naval officer, test pilot & NASA astronaut.
“We have many rich traditions in the space business and I’ve been part of the Space Shuttle and Soyuz launches.”
“Northrop Grumman has its own traditions and we traditionally name each Cygnus spacecraft in honor of astronauts or heroes in the space industry and individuals who contributed to the United States' commercial space program. Young’s bravery and record of NASA “firsts” pushed the boundaries of human space exploration, making him an ideal honoree for the NG-10 Mission.”
“Over the past year we named vehicles after Gene Cernan, Apollo 17 moonwalker, and JR Thompson, who played key roles at both NASA and as the founder of Orbital Sciences."
“John was selected in 1962 as part of the second group of NASA astronauts. He flew on the first Gemini, Mission 3 with Gus Grissom. Later he flew on a second Gemini mission - Gemini 10. He flew two Apollo missions, first on Apollo 10 where they practiced the actual moon landing. And then on the Apollo 16 landing mission where he conducted three EVA’s and drove the lunar rover across the Moon’s surface.”
“Young flew the first space shuttle on STS-1 and finished up his spaceflight career with STS-9.”
“John was a great astronaut and a great person! And I got to work with John Young for many years.”
“I am very excited that we are honoring John Young here,” Mastracchio stated with great pride at the Cygnus cleanroom dedication event at NASA Wallops on Oct. 24.
Enjoy my exclusive Space UpClose gallery of Cygnus & Antares photos herein.
“We are thrilled to announce that the Cygnus spacecraft for our 10th operational cargo resupply mission launch to the International Space Station is named in honor of John Young - one of the legends of space travel and one of my personal heroes,” Mastracchio said. Young was an accomplished naval officer, test pilot & NASA astronaut.
“We have many rich traditions in the space business and I’ve been part of the Space Shuttle and Soyuz launches.”
“Northrop Grumman has its own traditions and we traditionally name each Cygnus spacecraft in honor of astronauts or heroes in the space industry and individuals who contributed to the United States' commercial space program. Young’s bravery and record of NASA “firsts” pushed the boundaries of human space exploration, making him an ideal honoree for the NG-10 Mission.”
“Over the past year we named vehicles after Gene Cernan, Apollo 17 moonwalker, and JR Thompson, who played key roles at both NASA and as the founder of Orbital Sciences."
“John was selected in 1962 as part of the second group of NASA astronauts. He flew on the first Gemini, Mission 3 with Gus Grissom. Later he flew on a second Gemini mission - Gemini 10. He flew two Apollo missions, first on Apollo 10 where they practiced the actual moon landing. And then on the Apollo 16 landing mission where he conducted three EVA’s and drove the lunar rover across the Moon’s surface.”
“Young flew the first space shuttle on STS-1 and finished up his spaceflight career with STS-9.”
“John was a great astronaut and a great person! And I got to work with John Young for many years.”
“I am very excited that we are honoring John Young here,” Mastracchio stated with great pride at the Cygnus cleanroom dedication event at NASA Wallops on Oct. 24.
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Former NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio announces Northrop
Grumman built Cygnus NG-10 cargo spacecraft being prepped inside clean room High
Bay facility at NASA Wallops is named in honor NASA astronaut and Apollo 16 moonwalker
John Young on Oct. 24, 2018. Blastoff on
Antares rocket is slated for Nov. 15, 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
|
Young was launched on a then record of 6 space missions and
is the only human to have flown on NASA’s project Gemini, Apollo and Space
Shuttle spacecraft. He also launched a 7th time from the Moon departing
on the Apollo 16 lunar module to close out NASA’s 5th lunar landing
mission.
He logged over 865 hours in space altogether on Gemini 3 (1st Gemini), Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16 (lunar landing), STS-1 (1st space shuttle) and finally STS-9; totaling 34 days 19 hours 39 minutes.
“He is the only person to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs and was the first to fly into space six times -- or seven times, when counting his liftoff from the Moon during Apollo 16,” NASA said in a statement mourning his passing in January.
Young was active as a NASA astronaut for over 42 years of active service.
“Young was a pioneer in the field of human spaceflight who positioned future astronauts to live and work at the International Space Station,” said Northrop Grumman.
He logged over 865 hours in space altogether on Gemini 3 (1st Gemini), Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16 (lunar landing), STS-1 (1st space shuttle) and finally STS-9; totaling 34 days 19 hours 39 minutes.
“He is the only person to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs and was the first to fly into space six times -- or seven times, when counting his liftoff from the Moon during Apollo 16,” NASA said in a statement mourning his passing in January.
Young was active as a NASA astronaut for over 42 years of active service.
“Young was a pioneer in the field of human spaceflight who positioned future astronauts to live and work at the International Space Station,” said Northrop Grumman.
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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. 15, 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
|
The Cygnus
S.S. John Young, is scheduled
to launch aboard the company's upgraded Antares 230 version rocket on Thursday
November 15 at 4:50 a.m. EDT from seaside pad 0A at NASA's
Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia bound for the International Space Station.
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Northrop Grumman Antares rockets being processed
for launch inside the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF).
Booster assembly at right slated for Nov. 15, 2018 launch 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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“We are on target to launch Antares and Cygnus on Nov. 15
at this time,” Kurt Eberly, Antares
program manager Northrop Grumman VP, told Space UpClose in an interview during the Cygnus
dedication event at NASA Wallops on Oct. 24.
“Of course it always depends on NASA’s requirements which can change."
“Overall this launch [of NG-10] will be very similar to the last one OA-9 [when the aerospace company was still independently operating as Orbital ATK] in May of this year 2018.”
“OA-9 was very successful,” said Eberly. See my launch photo below.
“Of course it always depends on NASA’s requirements which can change."
“Overall this launch [of NG-10] will be very similar to the last one OA-9 [when the aerospace company was still independently operating as Orbital ATK] in May of this year 2018.”
“OA-9 was very successful,” said Eberly. See my launch photo below.
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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. 15, 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
|
And indeed some items on the manifest will change as a
result of the recent Soyuz launch abort failure of the MS-10 crew who landed
safely after an emergency in flight abort occurred just 2 minutes after
liftoff on Oct. 11.
“We have started loading some of the cargo on Cygnus,” former NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio told me in a clean room interview.
“There will be some changes in the manifest from what had been planned prior to the Soyuz incident.”
“But NASA is still in the process of deciding. We can add cargo as late as about 4 days prior to liftoff with the current Cygnus configuration,” Mastracchio explained to me.
The next step was placing Cygnus in a protective crate and wheeled transporter and moving it vertically to the V-55 fueling facility building. Then it will be transported on Nov. 1 to the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) for encapsulation in the payload fairing and integration with the Antares rocket.
Cygnus will be loaded with cargo up to 3,450 kg (7,605 lb.) comprising science experiments, research gear, food, water, spare parts, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to support the Expedition 57 and 58 crews
“We have started loading some of the cargo on Cygnus,” former NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio told me in a clean room interview.
“There will be some changes in the manifest from what had been planned prior to the Soyuz incident.”
“But NASA is still in the process of deciding. We can add cargo as late as about 4 days prior to liftoff with the current Cygnus configuration,” Mastracchio explained to me.
The next step was placing Cygnus in a protective crate and wheeled transporter and moving it vertically to the V-55 fueling facility building. Then it will be transported on Nov. 1 to the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) for encapsulation in the payload fairing and integration with the Antares rocket.
Cygnus will be loaded with cargo up to 3,450 kg (7,605 lb.) comprising science experiments, research gear, food, water, spare parts, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to support the Expedition 57 and 58 crews
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, said 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.
NG-10 is the next to last followed by NG-11 next spring, said 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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Launch of Orbital ATK OA-9 Antares/Cygnus to the ISS on 21 May 2018 from NASA Wallops, VA. 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.
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| Pre-Launch view of Orbital ATK OA-9 Antares/Cygnus mission to the ISS on 21 May 2018 from NASA Wallops, VA. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com |
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
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
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Former NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio and Ken Kremer/Space UpClose give 2 thumbs
up inside NASA Wallops cleanroom for Northrop Grumman built Cygnus NG-10 cargo
spacecraft named in honor of honor NASA astronaut and Apollo 16 moonwalker John
Young on Oct. 24, 2018. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com
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