NASA's Antares Rocket Successfully Launches from Wallops Island with Cygnus Cargo Vehicle

In a thrilling moment, NASA's Antares rocket lifted off from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 3:21 pm ET on Saturday, carrying the Cygnus resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station. This is Northrop Grumman's 13th cargo flight to the orbiting laboratory, and it marks another significant milestone in the ongoing effort to study microgravity and its effects on humans.

At the time of liftoff, the International Space Station was flying 258 statute miles over the western Pacific, northeast of the Northern Mariana Island. The spacecraft is scheduled to stay at the space station until May and will deliver thousands of pounds of supplies and experiments during that time.

The Cygnus cargo vehicle is carrying a vast array of scientific experiments designed to study the effects of microgravity on humans. These experiments are crucial in helping scientists identify ways to diminish the harmful effects of prolonged exposure to weightlessness, which can have significant implications for future long-duration space missions.

NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan will use the space station's robotic arm to capture Cygnus while NASA's Jessica Meir monitors telemetry. The resupply aircraft is scheduled to arrive at the space station around 4:05 am ET on Sunday.

The Antares rocket used in this launch is a reliable and powerful vehicle that has been used numerous times to support science research. Sounding rockets, like the ones available at Wallops Island, are small, low-cost flight opportunities that allow scientists to conduct experiments between 100 to 1400 kilometers into the atmosphere. This makes them an ideal platform for studying atmospheric phenomena, testing new technologies, and conducting suborbital space missions.

For more information about the Wallops Island Northern Development Project Draft EA or NASA WFF's NEPA program, please contact Shari Miller, Center NEPA Manager at NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Mailstop 250.W, Wallops Island, VA 23337.

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