Northrop Grumman Cargo Mission to International Space Station Reaches Orbit

Defense and aerospace company Northrop Grumman has announced the launch of its 20th International Space Station resupply mission as part of a NASA contract.

The space agency ordered the Cygnus cargo spacecraft mission, codenamed NG-20, under the potential $14 billion Commercial Resupply Service-2 contract, Northrop said.

Cygnus entered into orbit from onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It is expected to reach the ISS on Feb. 1.

Northrop’s spacecraft is carrying over 8,200 pounds of supplies, equipment and science experiments. Included in the payload are a pair of robotic arms, an artificial retina-making capability and an edge computer developed by Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.

Cygnus could remain docked at the ISS for up to six months and may be used to correct atmospheric drag effects on the station’s orbit, the company noted. The spacecraft features vertical integration capabilities such as spacecraft structures, propellant tanks and UltraFlex solar arrays.