NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are looking ahead to 8:49 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, December 8, for the next launch to deliver scientific research, equipment and tools to the International Space Station.
Loaded with about 11,000 kilograms of cargo, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The project is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24.
Watch the agency’s coverage and reach on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA news on various Internet platforms, including social media.
After launch, astronauts aboard the space station will use Canadarm2’s robotic arm to capture Cygnus XL on Friday, April 10, before ground controllers load it into the Earth-facing Unity port for unloading.
Highlights of the space exploration and technology demonstrations offered aboard the Cygnus XL spacecraft include:
- A new Cold Atom Lab module to develop a number of technologies that could improve computing technology and aid in the search for dark matter.
- Hardware to produce a large number of therapeutic stem cells for blood diseases and cancer
- A model organism to study the gut microbiome
- A receiver that can update local weather models protecting critical space equipment such as GPS and radar
Media interested in speaking with the scientist should contact Sandra Jones at sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov.
The spacecraft is scheduled to remain in the orbiting laboratory until October before taking off with several thousand pounds of debris and burning harmlessly during re-entry.
Northrop Grumman named the aircraft SS Steven R. Nagel in honor of the former NASA astronaut who flew four space shuttles, logging more than 720 hours in space.
A summary of NASA’s mission is as follows (all times Eastern; subject to change based on real-time performance):
Wednesday 8th April
8:30 am: Broadcast begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
8:49 am: Start
Friday 10th April
12:30 am: Coverage of the landing begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
1:10 am: Hold
NASA website image
Information on the launch date will be available on the NASA website. The event will include live streaming and blog updates starting as early as 8:30 a.m. on April 8 as the highlights unfold.
The popular NASA+ video and announcement photos will be available shortly after it’s uploaded. For questions about reading material, contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 321-867-2468. Follow the timeline on our International Space Station blog for updates.
Attend the start of the program
Members of the public can register to attend this program. NASA’s guest program for this mission also includes a customized launch kit, warnings about related opportunities or changes, and a NASA guest passport stamp after launch.
Check out, join social media
Let people know you’re watching the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:
X: @NASA, @NASASpaceOps, @NASAKennedy@Station_location@ISS_CASIS
Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab
Learn more about the mission at:
https://www.nasa.gov/event/nasas-northrop-grumman-crs-24/
-FINISH-
Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-876-2468
amanda.a.griffin@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
#NASA #lays #Defense #Northrop #Grummans #CRS24 #relaunch #NASA