NASA, SpaceX, and Northrop Grumman Set to Launch 21st Cygnus Resupply Mission

New Delhi, August 4, 2024:  NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are set to launch their 21st Cygnus commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, August 4, at 11:02 a.m. EDT (8:30 p.m. IST). The mission will be carried out using a Northrop Grumman vehicle, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing partnership for resupply services.

The Cygnus spacecraft, which will be launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, is packed with approximately 8,200 pounds of supplies. The spacecraft consists of two main modules: a Service Module and a Pressurized Cargo Module. These modules are designed to deliver essential supplies, equipment, and experiments to the ISS.

This particular Cygnus spacecraft is named the S.S. Francis R. ‘Dick’ Scobee, in honor of the late NASA astronaut Richard ‘Dick’ Scobee. Scobee was a Vietnam War veteran and the commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger, which tragically disintegrated during launch in 1986. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush in 2004.

The Cygnus program began over a decade ago with its first operational mission on January 9, 2014, named after astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton. The continued use of these spacecraft not only supports ongoing space missions but also commemorates the contributions of legendary astronauts who have made significant impacts on space exploration.