Successful Completion: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus Capsule to Depart ISS After Resupply Mission

After over five months attached to the International Space Station (ISS), Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft is set to make its departure. The completion of its 20th commercial resupply mission marks a significant milestone for NASA and its international partners. Throughout its stay, the Cygnus spacecraft has been a pivotal attribute to the ISS, delivering more than 8,200 pounds of essentials including scientific equipment, consumer products, and other materials required for the orbiting laboratory’s ongoing operations.

The preparations for the departure of the Cygnus spacecraft, nicknamed the S.S. Alan Poindexter after the late astronaut, will be closely monitored by NASA astronaut Mike Barratt. Live coverage will be available through various platforms such as the NASA app and YouTube, providing space enthusiasts a front-row seat to the final stages of this mission.

Scheduled to depart on Friday, July 12, the process will initiate with flight controllers commanding the ISS’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, to release Cygnus from the Unity module. This activity will be followed closely to ensure safe maneuvering of the spacecraft before its eventual release into space at precisely 7 a.m. EDT.

An additional element of interest in Cygnus's final journey is the Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2 (KREPE-2). Encased within Cygnus, this probe will actively collect data to assess a new thermal protection system, designed specifically to ensure safety and integrity of the craft upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Fully loaded with waste material from the ISS, the Cygnus spacecraft is then scheduled for a controlled deorbit on Saturday, July 13. This final act of the resupply mission entails a purposely destructive re-entry, leading to Cygnus disintegrating over the Pacific Ocean—a standard procedure for disposing of space station refuse in a safe and controlled manner.

The mission, which originally launched on February 1 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, showcases the successful collaboration between NASA and private partners in maintaining continuous support for the ongoing endeavors in space exploration and research on the ISS.

Tune in to witness the culmination of this resupply journey, a testament to our persistent quest for knowledge in the cosmos.