Northrop Grumman’s NG-21 Resupply Mission Successfully Launches to the International Space Station

DULLES, Va., August 4. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Cygnus spacecraft was successfully launched to the International Space Station by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in support of the company’s 21st resupply mission (NG-21) under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Service-2 (CRS-2) contract.

• NG-21 is carrying over 8,200 pounds of equipment, science experiments and supplies to crew aboard the space station.
• Since 2023, Northrop Grumman has provided six reboost services while Cygnus was attached to the station – with the opportunity for more during this mission.

Expert:

Ryan Tintner, Vice President, Civil Space Systems, Northrop Grumman: “Northrop Grumman is providing logistics technology that delivers differentiating capabilities – sustaining life and science research aboard the space station. NG-21 is another critical mission that builds on our longstanding support for NASA and the space station.”

Details:

Northrop Grumman names each Cygnus spacecraft in honor of an individual who has made great contributions to human spaceflight. For NG-21, Cygnus is named for Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, a NASA astronaut, US Air Force pilot and engineer who commanded the 1986 space shuttle Challenger. As a test pilot, he logged more than 6,500 hours of flying time in 45 different aircraft. In 1984, he piloted the STS 41-C mission, spending seven days in space. He served as commander of Challenger for the STS 51-L mission, losing his life along with six other crew in the fatal accident.

Cygnus uses crucial products manufactured by the company, including UltraFlex solar arrays, spacecraft structures, propellant tanks and loop heat pipe radiators for temperature control.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.