The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft’s pressurized cargo module for the company’s 20th commercial resupply mission is lifted and moved by crane inside the high bay in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Cygnus, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40.

NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This launch is the 20th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency.

NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Monday, Jan. 29, for a Falcon 9 rocket to launch the Cygnus spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Following launch, the space station’s Canadarm2 will grapple Cygnus no earlier than Wednesday, Jan. 31, and the spacecraft will attach to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading by the Expedition 70 crew.

U.S. media may apply for credentials to cover the prelaunch and launch activities. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@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. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space.

Cygnus also will deliver food, supplies, and equipment to the crew. Research aboard this mission includes the first surgical robot on the space station and an orbit re-entry platform that collects thermal protection systems data. Other investigations aboard include a 3D cartilage cell culture that maintains healthy cartilage in a lower gravity environment and ESA’s (European Space Agency) Metal 3D printer, an autonomous semiconductor manufacturing platform.

This spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson.

Humans have occupied the space station continuously since November 2000. In that time, 273 people from 21 countries have visited the orbital outpost. The space station is a springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis, and ultimately, human exploration of Mars.

Learn more about NASA’s commercial resupply missions at:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/commercial-resupply/

-end-

News Media Contacts:

Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-876-2468
stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

Ellen Klicka 
Northrop Grumman, Cygnus  
703-402-4404 
ellen.klicka@ngc.com

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