Cygnus Spaceship Lifts Off to Resupply Station on Monday

The Cygnus cargo craft launches atop the Antares rocket on time from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The Cygnus cargo craft launches atop the Antares rocket on time from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus cargo spacecraft lifted off at 12:36 p.m. EST from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and is on its way to the International Space Station with approximately 8,000 pounds of research, crew supplies, and hardware.

Commands will be given at about 3:20 p.m. EST to deploy the spacecraft’s solar arrays, which is expected to be complete shortly before 4 p.m.  Capture and installation is expected to take place Monday, Feb. 22, with grapple by the robotic arm expected at approximately 4:40 a.m. EST.

For more information about the International Space Station, visit www.nasa.gov/station.



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