It provides mission controllers an additional method for maintaining the station's orbit "in addition to the Russian thrusters or the Russian Progress cargo spacecraft capabilities," according to Dina Contella, NASA’s operations integration manager for the ISS program.įollowing any reboosts, Cygnus will depart the station for disposal by burning on reentry into the atmosphere, but not before one more science experiment. This reboost capability has been available since first used in June 2022 when NG-17 fired its thrusters for 301 seconds, raising the station by about half a mile. Laurel Clark, a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia for STS-107 in keeping with Northrop Grumman tradition naming spacecraft for important figures in aerospace.Īfter unloading, the Enhanced Cygnus can stay berthed for up to 100 days where it may be used to reboost the ISS to a higher orbit to overcome the friction of the upper atmosphere which causes the station to slow slightly, lowering its orbit. The Cygnus is named for NASA astronaut Dr. The Antares 230+ launch vehicle will lift an Enhanced Cygnus spacecraft loaded with more than 8,200 pounds of cargo for rendezvous with the ISS two days later. Watch for the exhaust plume, illuminated by the setting sun, to expand as the rocket climbs into the thinner upper atmosphere.Īt 9:03 p.m., you'll see the ISS rise on the northwest horizon as it passes brightly overhead before dimming as it passes into the Earth's shadow in the southeast about 6 minutes later. The rocket will disappear from view at main engine cut-off (MECO), 3 minutes 18 seconds after launch, but could be dimly visible again at 4 minutes 7 seconds at an altitude of nearly 74 miles as the second stage fires.
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