Northrop’s Cygnus Spacecraft Lifts Off for NG-13 Cargo Resupply Mission to ISS

Northrop Grumman has launched its Cygnus cargo ship to the International Space Station along with 7.5K pounds of research and scientific payload as part of the NG-13 mission for NASA.

NASA said Sunday the Antares 230+ launch vehicle lifted off from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 3:21 p.m. EST on Saturday and was slated to arrive at the station at 4:05 a.m. on Tuesday.

Cygnus carried five experiments including a miniature electron microscope, bacteriophage technology, fire production research and bone-loss examination studies.

The Cygnus spacecraft for the NG-12 mission that launched in November departed from the ISS on Jan. 31.

NG-13 serves as Northrop’s 13th Cygnus flight to the station and second under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract.