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September 09, 2019 MEDIA ADVISORY M19-096 NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman’s Space Station Launch from Virginia
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMS-02) as seen from the International Space Station
Credits: NASA
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Media accreditation is open for the launch of Northrop Grumman’s 12th
commercial resupply services mission aboard its Cygnus spacecraft to
deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
Northrop Grumman is targeting liftoff of its Antares rocket for no
earlier than 2:39 p.m. EDT Oct. 21 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport’s Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island
in Virginia. This is the first mission under Northrop’s Commercial
Resupply Services-2 contract with NASA.
To cover the prelaunch and launch activities at Wallops,
international media without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials
by Wednesday, Sept. 18. The application deadline for media who are U.S.
citizens is Oct. 15. All accreditation requests must be sent to Keith
Koehler at keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov.
Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific
investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and
space science, physical sciences, and technology development and
demonstrations.
Highlights of space station research that will be facilitated by research aboard this Cygnus mission include:
- The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMS-02),
mounted on the exterior of the International Space Station, looks for
evidence of dark, strange and anti-matter to help us understand how our
universe was formed. A series of spacewalks are planned for later this
year to prolong the operational life of the AMS-02. Astronauts will cut
and reconnect fluid lines, a feat not done before in space, which could
prove valuable for future missions at NASA’s upcoming lunar Gateway or missions to Mars.
- The AstroRad Vest
tests a special vest designed to protect astronauts from radiation
caused by unpredictable solar particle events. Astronauts will provide
input on the garment as they wear it while performing daily tasks,
including how easy it is to put on, how it fits and feels, and the range
of motion it allows. Garment developers can use this input to improve
design. Use of the vest could protect crew members on missions to the
Moon and Mars.
- The Zero-G Oven
examines heat transfer properties and the process of baking food in
microgravity. It uses an oven designed specifically for use aboard the
space station, and may have application on future long-duration missions
by offering a way to increase variety in flavor and nutrition of food
for crew members.
- The Made in Space Recycler will test systems needed to reprocess
plastic into 3D printing filament that can then be transferred for use
to the Made in Space Manufacturing Device, a 3D printer that has
operated on the orbiting laboratory since 2016. This has implications
for space conservation and deep space missions.
Northrop Grumman will use a new 24-hour late load capability on this
mission. This innovative system includes a mobile clean room and a
removable portion of the payload fairing that will permit time-sensitive
science experiments to be loaded into Cygnus as late as 24 hours before
liftoff.
Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to
deliver critical science research to the space station, significantly
increasing NASA's ability to conduct new investigations at the only
laboratory in space.
Get more information about Northrop Grumman’s commercial resupply missions at:
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