Antares’ final mission was a 100% success because the rocket sent the Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.
The launch occurred on time at 8:31 p.m. ET (00:31 UTC) from Launch Pad 0 on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island in Virginia. Cygnus will arrive on the International Space Station on August 4th and a planned berthing to the station at 5:55 a.m. ET (09:55 UTC).
Liftoff! @NorthropGrumman’s Antares rocket lights up the night sky over @NASA_Wallops. The #CRS19 S.S. Laurel Clark, named after the late astronaut, will deliver science, supplies, and snacks to the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/8XK9ZnsIVV
— NASA (@NASA) August 2, 2023
Because the first Cygnus mission, all have been named, and for this mission, it has been named the S.S. Laurel Clark in honor of the NASA astronaut who flew on the STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia mission.
Following orbital insertion, the Cygnus spacecraft had no issues because it unfurled its two solar arrays that may provide power to the spacecraft on its journey to the Space Station. Throughout the NG-18 mission, certainly one of the solar arrays did not deploy because of debris being lodged into the separation mechanics during stage separation.
Much like how older SpaceX Dragon cargo capsules were berthed to the ISS, NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg will use the Canadarm2 to grapple Cygnus and fasten it to the Space Station. Once Cygnus is attached, the crew aboard the ISS will begin removing the supplies and experiments from the vehicle.
Along with the supplies, a few of the experiments on board include:
Higher water for explorers: This method, Exploration PWD, features advances in water sterilization, and microbial growth reduction, and has the flexibility to dispense hot water.
Testing gene therapy: Neuronix: will reveal the formation of three-dimensional neuronal cell cultures in microgravity and tests a neuron-specific gene therapy. If successful, it could provide the chance to check drugs and coverings for neurological disease on the ISS.
Astrobee: A free-flying robot that uses electric fans to navigate, will help astronauts with routine every day activities. The Astrobee system consists of three robots named Bumble, Honey, and Queen. The system has been in use on and off since 2018.
Cygnus will depart the ISS in October, carrying with it hundreds of kilos of trash and one final experiment that may occur before its fiery re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The Spacecraft Fire Experiment-VI, the ultimate within the series, will test flammability at different oxygen levels and reveal fire detection, combustion product monitoring, and post-fire cleanup capabilities.
![](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ezgif-2-4135c837b4.gif)
The Saffire experiment in progress during a previous Cygnus mission (Credit NASA)
The following 3 Cygnus spacecraft will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 while Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace work on developing the Antares 330 rocket that’s because of launch no sooner than 2025.