On July 28, 2023, an Antares rocket from Northrop Grumman, carrying a Cygnus spacecraft loaded with cargo, was positioned upright on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. This marks Northrop Grumman’s 19th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA, aiming to transport over 8,200 pounds of scientific and research materials, crew supplies, and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station (ISS) and its inhabitants. The CRS-19 Cygnus spacecraft is set to launch on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at 8:31 p.m. EDT. Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman/Thom Baur.
The Expedition 69 crew is getting ready to receive the delivery from the Cygnus spacecraft, which carries more than 8,200 pounds of supplies. The team is also participating in health checks, spacesuit examinations, and preparations for a Russian spacewalk.
On Monday, July 31, the crew of Expedition 69 prepared for the upcoming cargo delivery to the ISS. The team also undertook health assessments and examined their spacesuits.
NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg and Frank Rubio dedicated most of their day to prepare for the capture of the Cygnus spacecraft scheduled for Friday. They spent their morning practicing Cygnus’s berthing and capture, followed by an afternoon session of practice using the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, for grappling procedures.
The CRS-19 Cygnus spacecraft is named in honor of NASA astronaut Dr. Laurel Clark, who was a part of the Columbia STS-107 mission. The image reflects the launch of the Columbia space shuttle for the STS-107 mission, the smoke and steam from the liftoff rolling across the landscape. The mission, however, ended in tragedy when Columbia and the STS-107 crew were lost over east Texas on their descent back to Kennedy Space Center on February 1, 2003. Image courtesy of Scott Andrews.
The Cygnus spacecraft is slated to launch on August 1 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, bringing more than 8,200 pounds of supplies and scientific equipment to the ISS. On August 4, Hoburg is scheduled to capture Cygnus using Canadarm2, with Rubio acting as backup, denoting Northrop Grumman’s 19th commercial resupply mission.
Near day-end, Rubio worked on consolidating food supplies in anticipation of Cygnus’s arrival. Concurrently, Hoburg ensured the jetpacks attached to the spacesuits, also known as SAFERs (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue), were adequately powered. These jetpacks provide astronauts the capability to return to the station if they were to unintentionally disconnect during a spacewalk.
Sultan Alneyadi, UAE (United Arab Emirates) Flight Engineer, took care of orbital plumbing tasks in the morning. He later prepared for Friday’s space freighter capture in the Harmony module and finished his day setting up the Berthing Camera System in the Unity module.
NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen was busy with Immunity Assay operations, a continuous study intended to observe the effects of spaceflight stressors on cellular immune functions.
Lastly, the three cosmonauts, Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin and Andrey Fedyaev, were preparing for a Russian spacewalk set for August 9.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cygnus spacecraft’s ISS arrival
What is the mission of the Northrop Grumman Antares rocket?
The mission of the Northrop Grumman Antares rocket is to deliver a Cygnus spacecraft loaded with more than 8,200 pounds of science and research materials, crew supplies, and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station (ISS).
Who are the astronauts involved in the preparation for the Cygnus spacecraft’s arrival at the ISS?
The astronauts involved in the preparation for the Cygnus spacecraft’s arrival at the ISS are NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg, Frank Rubio, and Stephen Bowen, along with UAE Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi.
What tasks are the astronauts engaged in prior to the Cygnus spacecraft’s arrival?
Before the Cygnus spacecraft’s arrival, the astronauts are engaged in health investigations, spacesuit surveys, preparations for a Russian spacewalk, and pre-launch operations including practicing Cygnus berthing, capture, and grappling procedures using Canadarm2.
Who is the CRS-19 Cygnus spacecraft named after?
The CRS-19 Cygnus spacecraft is named after NASA astronaut Dr. Laurel Clark, who flew aboard Columbia STS-107.
What is the purpose of the jetpacks, also known as SAFERs, attached to the spacesuits?
The jetpacks, also known as SAFERs (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue), provide astronauts with the ability to return to the station if they were to become untethered during a spacewalk.
More about Cygnus spacecraft’s ISS arrival
- Northrop Grumman Antares rocket
- NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
- International Space Station (ISS)
- Canadarm2
- Columbia STS-107
- SAFERs (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue)
- Immunity Assay operations
6 comments
Can’t wait for the launch! Northrop Grumman rockets never fail to impress. Good luck to the team!
Woah, more than 8,200 pounds of supplies? thats pretty massive. Go Cygnus!
Those jetpacks sound so cool. Imagine floating in space and then just zooming back to the station. Man, I want one of those SAFERs.
So excited for the russian spacewalk! And all the best to the astronauts preppin for the Cygnus arrival. U guys are heroes!
The story of Dr. Laurel Clark is so tragic. Glad to see her remembered in the naming of the spacecraft.
The ISS always amazes me, they are doing so much stuff up there. I mean health investigations, equipment checks, and all that while floating around in space. Its just insane.