Steve Hammer
November seventh, 2022
Antares launches with the NG-18 Cygnus cargo spacecraft sure for the Worldwide Area Station. Credit score: Mark Usciak / Spaceflight Insider
Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket disrupted a usually peaceable morning because it lifted off over the Atlantic from the Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia, with the Cygnus NG-18 cargo mission to the Worldwide Area Station.
At 5:32 a.m. EST (10:32 UTC) Nov. 7, 2022, the Antares rocket lofted the Cygnus spacecraft, named SS Sally Ride, filled with supplies and new science for the space station. The 2 first stage RD-181 engines hoisted the rocket shortly off of launch pad 0A and Antares shortly disappeared into the clouds.
The ultimate first stage for the Antares 230+ sequence waits for its launch someday subsequent yr. Credit score: Steve Hammer / Spaceflight Insider
Lower than 10 minutes later, NG-18 Cygnus was in orbit to start its two-day chase of the orbiting laboratory. It’s slated to reach in the course of the morning of Nov. 9.
This launch is the corporate’s 18th to the Worldwide Area Station beneath NASA’s second Business Resupply Service contract. The NG-18 mission is delivering greater than 8,200 kilos (3,700 kilograms) of important provides and crew provisions, including some 1,760 pounds (800 kilograms) of hardware and samples to support about 40 different investigations to the station.
Among the science contains the relaunching of the Redwire Biofabrication Facility, an epigenics research that can have a look at vegetation grown in house over a number of generations, and a research to higher perceive water repellent hydrophobic particles in submit wildfire mudflows.
Among the many provides can be assist for brand new photo voltaic arrays.
This was the penultimate Antares launch in its present 230+ configuration. In August, Northrop Grumman partnered with Firefly Aerospace to supply a completely American-built first stage for the brand new Antares 330.
The Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport is situated within the northern portion of Virginia’s Japanese Shore on Wallops Island. The complicated consists of three launchpads.
Antares rockets, that are used to resupply the Worldwide Area Station as part of NASA’s Business Resupply Providers program, make the most of Pad 0A, whereas Pad 0B is used for the Minotaur household of launch autos.
A brand new Launch Advanced-2 was just lately constructed to assist the Rocket Lab Electron satellite tv for pc launch car, increasing the island’s wealthy historical past as a flight facility with over 16,000 rockets having been launched since 1945.
Video courtesy of NASA
Steve Hammer
Steve moved to central Virginia from the Atlanta suburbs. He studied U.S. historical past, geography and social sciences at Virginia Tech and commenced instructing within the public faculty system in Southampton County, in Virginia’s Tidewater area. Whereas there, he developed a ardour for images specializing in transportation and something historic. With encouragement from household and associates, he moved backed to central Virginia the place he at present lives and works as a pc science trainer. In his spare time, Steve enjoys spending time together with his household and exploring the attractive Virginia county facet together with his digital camera.
