A few hours ago, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft blasted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center on its NG-20 or CRS NG-20 mission. After about 15 minutes, it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage and set on its course. This is the first of at least three resupply missions to the International Space Station with various payloads launched using the Falcon 9 rocket while waiting for the new version of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket to be ready.
The Antares rocket already had a complex history that led to the development of various versions under various company managements, as a series of acquisitions turned the owner company from Orbital Sciences to Orbital ATK and then to Northrop Grumman. The first version, called the 100 series, used a first stage with two Aerojet AJ-26 engines but was only used for the first five launches, as the fifth failed due to a fault at one of these engines. For the second version, called the 200 series, Russian RD-181 engines were adopted, which led to a series of successful launches.
The growing tensions between the USA and Russia led to the first sanctions by the USA in 2014. For some years, it was still possible to rely on Russian engines but it was only a matter of time before it became essential to change supplier. In 2022, a contract was announced with Firefly Aerospace, which is developing its own rocket and engines, called Miranda, which will also be used for the 300 series of the Antares rocket.
A further complication arose from the fact that the Antares rocket’s first stage was being built in Ukraine and this became impossible after the war with Russia affected the entire nation. For this reason, the first stage of the new version of the rocket will be built by Firefly Aerospace as well.
The first launch of the new version of the Antares rocket is scheduled for June 2025 but in the meantime, Northrop Grumman must carry out other resupply missions to the International Space Station with its Cygnus space cargo ship. For this reason, the company purchased three launches to be carried out with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
This Cygnus spacecraft was named S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson (1963-2001) after the NASA astronaut who was selected to be part of the crew of the International Space Station but died in a plane crash before she could begin that mission. This space freighter carries a total of over 3,700 kilograms (a bit more than 8,200 pounds) of cargo which includes 1,130 kilograms (2,490 pounds) of supplies of various types for the crew, 1,130 kilograms (2,490 pounds) of hardware and the rest in various equipment and components.
Among the instruments on board the Cygnus space cargo ship is the Robotic Surgery Tech Demo, the first robot surgeon sent into space. It aims to test technologies necessary to perform surgical operations in a state of microgravity remotely controlled from Earth. It’s the kind of instrument that might be needed on long-duration deep-space missions.
ESA sent a 3D printer that generates metal objects. The aim is to test the production of tools or spare parts useful to the crew. In this case, they would be useful on the International Space Station and in the future, that type of 3D printer could be useful for example at a moon base.
The MSTIC (Manufacturing of Semiconductors and Thin-film Integrated Coatings) experiment aims to test the production of semiconductors that have a quality that’s better than can be produced in Earth’s gravity.
Among the medical experiments is Compartment Cartilage Tissue Construct, which uses biological materials that mimic DNA to develop a structure that regenerates cartilage tissues and tests the effects of a specific RNA on cartilage growth in space. The aim is to treat cartilage degenerations that can occur by spending long periods in microgravity or low gravity but there could also be applications in the treatment of degenerations that occur on Earth.
The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to reach the International Space Station tomorrow to be captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm around 9.15 UTC. If there are no problems, the day after the arrival of the Cygnus, the crew will open the hatch and start the unloading operations.
