NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grummans 21st Station Resupply Launch – NASA

Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science probes, supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. This launch is Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency and will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX are targeting early August to launch the Cygnus spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

After launch, the Canadarm2 space stations will dock with Cygnus and the spacecraft will dock with the Unity modules in the Earth-facing port for cargo unloading.

Credentialing to cover pre-launch and launch activities is open to US media. The application deadline for US citizens is 11:59 PM EDT, Friday, July 19. All accreditation requests must be submitted online to:

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.

Before information sobre cobertura en espaol en el Centro Espacial Kennedy or as a lawyer interview en espaol, communicate with Antonia Jaramillo or Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.

Each resupply mission to the station provides scientific investigations in the fields of biology and biotechnology, earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. The resupply of payloads by US companies provides a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new human laboratory investigations in space.

In addition to food, supplies and equipment for the crew, Cygnus will provide research, including supplies for a new STEMonstration and several test items to observe the flow of water in microgravity. Other research on board includes vascularized liver tissue and a bioreactor to demonstrate the production of blood and immune stem cells. Researchers will learn more about biological production in microgravity to create higher quality treatments for humans on Earth.

NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative is also sending two CubeSats to be deployed from the orbiting laboratory, CySat-1 from Iowa State University and DORA from Arizona State University, making up ELaNa 52 (Educational Nanosatellite Launch ).

Crews have occupied the space station continuously since November 2000. In that time, 280 people from 21 countries have visited the orbital outpost. The space station is a springboard for NASA’s next big step 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/station

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

Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-876-2468
stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.sicoff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@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