Article Posted on : - Apr 19, 2019

The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket with Cygnus resupply spacecraft onboard launches from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo: NASA

WASHINGTON (BNS): NASA has launched the Cygnus unmanned spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) on a resupply mission.

The cargo craft was launched by Northrop Grumman-built Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 4:46 pm ET (2046 GMT) on April 17.

The Northrop-built Cygnus carrying 7,600 pounds (3,447-kg) of science investigations and cargo is scheduled to arrive at the orbiting laboratory around 5:30 am (0930 GMT) on Friday, April 19, the US space agency said.

Astronauts Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will use the space station’s robotic arm to capture Cygnus, while NASA’s Nick Hague will monitor the telemetry.

The spacecraft will stay at the ISS until July.

The latest delivery which is Northrop Grumman’s 11th cargo flight to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract, will support dozens of new and existing investigations.