In an exciting first, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft into orbit today. This marks the first time Cygnus has flown on a Falcon instead of its usual Antares ride.
Blasting off right on schedule at 12:07pm EST from Cape Canaveral, the Falcon 9 looked flawless, arching gracefully into pristine Florida skies. At just over 3 minutes, the first stage separated and headed back to Earth for a smooth landing 8 minutes later. Gotta love that SpaceX reusability!
On the NASA webcast, Jeff Arend praised the collaboration between the space agencies and private companies that made this mission possible. He said NASA plans to stick with this tag-team approach for future Cygnus flights too.
For SpaceX, this was their 10th launch this year and 2nd to the ISS. With a packed manifest, the company could hit a whopping 148 launches in 2023!
Now comes the fun part – the loaded-up Cygnus, dubbed the S.S. Patricia Hilliard Robertson, will spend two days chasing down the ISS. Named after the late astronaut, Cygnus is hauling over 8,200 pounds of cargo and experiments.
We’re talking the first surgical robot in space, a metal 3D printer, cartilage cell cultures, and more neat science. There’s also a new solar array kit to boost ISS power.
When Cygnus arrives on Thursday, NASA astronauts will use the Canadarm2 to grab and berth it to the station.
While Antares rockets have lofted Cygnus in the past, its capsule design allows different launch vehicles to step in. Smart move, since Antares returns later in 2025.
With this successful first Falcon flight, the innovative Cygnus-Falcon duo promises to keep critical research and supplies flowing to the ISS for years to come. Dr. Robertson would surely be proud to see the Cygnus named in her honor pioneering new frontiers today.
