NASA's Wallops and Northrop Grumman Launched Antares Rocket and Cygnus Cargo; Here’s How it Can Help

NASA and Northrop Grumman just launched the Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo to International Space Station.

The Northrop Grumman 17th resupply mission (NG-17) to the International Space Station launched on Saturday (Feb. 19) with the Antares rocket and the Cygnus cargo under the terms of NASA's Commercial Resupply Service-2 (CRS-2) contract.

The launch was deployed at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Last Friday (Feb.18), ground crews were loading time-sensitive cargo into the Cygnus cargo at the launch pad, which is scheduled to take off on Saturday.

NASA and Northrop Grumman launched the Cygnus cargo in space to resupply astronauts on the International Space Station carrying supplies and research necessities.

NASA Launches Cygnus on Space

As reported by SciTechDaily, after Cygnus successfully launches, ground controllers will take over control of the vehicle toward the Unity module.

Once installed on Unity, Cygnus will be unloaded with over 8,300 pounds of station equipment and new science experiments. The astronauts will open the hatches and begin unloading the station cargo.

The Antares rocket was launched on NASA Wallops. Furthermore, the live coverage of Antares can be streamed on NASA TV.

The following is a breakdown of the cargo supplies to be sent to ISS:

• Crew supplies weighing 2,980 pounds (1,352 kilograms) were brought on board.

• Vehicle hardware weighing 2,883 pounds (1,308 kilograms) in total

• A total of 1,975 pounds (896 kilograms) of scientific investigations

• Unpressurized cargo weighing 200 pounds (100 kilograms) is transported.

• Spacewalking equipment weighing 132 pounds (60 kilograms).

• A total of 77 pounds (35 kilograms) in computer equipment

Reboosting International Space Station

The Cygnus spacecraft will provide the first operational International Space Station reboost service in addition to delivering 8,300 pounds of critical cargo to astronauts living onboard the station. Reboosting is a critical part of altitude maintenance for the station.

According to Northrop Grumman, Steve Krein, Vice President of civil and commercial space in Northrop Grumman, stated that "we are expanding the suite of value-added capabilities that we offer through our proven Cygnus program."

Krein added that "the addition of reboost services to Cygnus' capabilities provides NASA with an even greater tool to advance space science and exploration, whether that's on the International Space Station, the moon or beyond."

How Can it Help Humanity?

According to NASA, the Cygnus cargo will also supply scientists with research experiments to improve fire safety, grow plants in space, develop better batteries, and improve hydrogen sensors, skin aging, and tumor cells.

In addition, one of its research highlights is also the study of skin protection.

In microgravity, the Colgate Skin Aging study examines the cellular and molecular changes in engineered human skin cells. The findings could indicate that these engineered cells could be used as a model to quickly evaluate products aimed at protecting skin from the aging process on the surface of the Earth.

Aside from that, there is also ongoing research on testing tumor drugs. This study investigates the effects of a therapeutic on breast and prostate cancer cells using MicroQuin 3-dimensional tumors.

These cells can grow in a more natural three-dimensional model in microgravity, making it easier to characterize their structure, gene expression, cell signaling, and response to the drug than they would in the laboratory.

Those findings may provide new insight into the cell protein targeted by the drug and may also aid in advancing the development of other cancer-targeting drugs in the future.