2023-08-03 13:45:42
A Cygnus refueling spacecraft (without crew) from Northrop Grumman was launched into space on August 1 (or 2, depending on the time zone) en route to the International Space Station (ISS), transporting to it, among other things , more than 3700 kilograms of material for NASA scientific research.
The launch took place from the NASA space center on the island of Wallops, Virginia, United States. The launcher used was a Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ rocket.
Thanks to the scientific material sent, dozens of experiments can be carried out in the following lines of research or work areas:
Gene therapy tests. Neuronix investigates the formation of 3D neuronal cell cultures in microgravity and tests a specific gene therapy for neurons.
Experimentation with fire. The sixth Spacecraft Fire Experiment (Saffire-VI) is the latest in a series to test flammability at different oxygen levels and demonstrate fire detection and monitoring, as well as post-fire cleanup capabilities.
Measurement of atmospheric density. The ESA (European Space Agency) Multi Needle Langmuir probe aims to observe plasma densities in the ionosphere, where Earth’s atmosphere meets space.
Better water for astronauts. A system sent to the International Space Station in the fall of 2008 provides water for crew consumption and food preparation on the space station. A new system, Exploration PWD, uses advanced methods of water disinfection and microbial growth reduction, and dispenses hot water.
High flying art. For I-Space Essay, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has sent to the space station a memory card containing digital works created by students, including poems and images.
robotic helper. An Astrobee robot (cube-shaped) has been sent back to the space station to help reduce the amount of time astronauts spend on routine tasks.
The Cygnus space freighter taking off with its rocket. (Photo: NASA)
Several hardware upgrades were also loaded aboard Cygnus to increase the efficiency of scientific investigations on the space station.
They highlight a condensation module and a heat transfer system that will help researchers to better understand the distribution and flow of heat. Such knowledge could be used to improve the mechanisms that protect astronauts from the extreme hot and cold temperatures of space.
The station’s Cold Atom Lab, which uses microgravity there to study quantum phenomena in ways not possible on Earth, will get an upgrade that will give scientists more data under a broader range of experimental conditions.
The name Northrop Grumman has given this Cygnus spacecraft is “SS Laurel Clark” in honor of the late NASA astronaut Laurel Clark who was a crew member on the fateful NASA STS-107 mission aboard the Space Shuttle. Columbia in 2003.
The Cygnus spacecraft will remain at the space station until October. When he leaves the station, he will do so carrying more than a ton of garbage inside. The ship and its debris will melt and burn during its self-destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. (Source: NCYT from Amazings)
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