CRS NG-20’s Falcon 9 Mission: Delivering Cargo and Science to the International Space Station

Northrop Grumman’s NG-20 mission is set to launch the Cygnus spacecraft S.S. Patricia Hilliard Robertson to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This marks the first time a Cygnus mission will fly aboard a Falcon 9 instead of an Antares rocket. The launch is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 12:07 PM EST from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The Falcon 9 rocket, designated B1077-10, will follow a trajectory inclined to 51.6 degrees to ensure that the Cygnus spacecraft aligns with the ISS orbital plane. After stage separation, the booster will perform a return to launch site (RTLS) landing and touch down at Landing Zone 1.

This RTLS landing will be the third of the month, as SpaceX marine assets have been undergoing maintenance in Charleston, South Carolina. With only one drone ship currently operational on the East Coast, additional RTLS landings may be necessary for future Starlink flights to relieve pressure on SpaceX’s marine operations.

The weather forecast for the launch is favorable, with a 95 percent chance of acceptable conditions according to the 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force. The only concern is the presence of cumulus clouds. Backup launch dates on Wednesday and Thursday also have favorable conditions, with a forecasted 85 percent and 90 percent chance of success, respectively.

The Falcon 9 rocket for this mission, B1077, has already had a successful career, with previous launches including the Crew-5 mission to the ISS, GPS III-6, Inmarsat I-6 F2, Starlink missions, CRS-28, Galaxy 37, and more. All previous missions landed on a drone ship, making this flight B1077’s first RTLS landing.

Once the Cygnus spacecraft is in orbit, it will take approximately two days to reach the ISS. Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will use the Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the Cygnus spacecraft and dock it to the Unity module’s nadir (Earth-facing) port.

The Cygnus spacecraft will be carrying around 3,750 kilograms of cargo to the ISS. This includes the first surgical robot to be flown to the ISS, a metal 3D printer for testing small metal parts, a 3D cartilage cell culture, the MSTIC autonomous semiconductor manufacturing platform, and three reentry capsules to test different heat shield materials. Additionally, the cargo includes supplies for the Station crew and equipment replacements for various station components.

NG-20 will also deliver an iROSA solar array upgrade kit to the ISS. That’s the seventh upgrade kit needed for the installation of the final set of upgraded arrays. The mission has been scheduled to remain berthed to the ISS until May and can perform orbital re-boost maneuvers if needed. Once it is time for unberthing, the Cygnus spacecraft will be loaded with trash from the Station before reentering Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific.

The Cygnus spacecraft is named after Dr. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson, a member of the 1998 astronaut class who tragically passed away before she could fly into space. Dr. Robertson was a skilled pilot and medical doctor with degrees in biology and medicine. She was scheduled to fly to the ISS in 2002 but died in a private plane crash in 2001.

Naming the Cygnus spacecraft after deceased astronauts or important figures in space exploration is a tradition carried on from Orbital Sciences, the original developer of Cygnus. Previous Cygnus spacecraft were named after astronauts such as Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Alan Bean, Deke Slayton, Gene Cernan, Roger Chaffee, and more.

The Falcon 9 rocket used for the Cygnus launch has undergone modifications to accommodate the spacecraft. A 1.5 by 1.2-meter door in the fairing allows for late loading of cargo, a feature that was previously used with the Antares rocket. Once the door is opened, a platform is erected to provide access to the Cygnus spacecraft’s hatch while the rocket is in a horizontal position.

While the Falcon 9 is temporarily being used for Cygnus launches, Northrop Grumman’s Antares 330 rocket, developed in partnership with Firefly Aerospace, is scheduled to fly starting in June 2025. The Antares 330 will restore Northrop Grumman’s ability to launch Cygnus missions on their own rockets and provide them with a more capable launcher for other commercial cargo contracts.

Before the Antares rocket was available, Cygnus missions had been launched on other vehicles such as ULA’s Atlas V 401 following the failure of the Orb-3 mission in 2014. The Cygnus spacecraft is designed to be compatible with various launch vehicles.

In addition to NG-20, future Cygnus missions NG-21 and NG-22 are also scheduled to fly on Falcon 9 rockets. NG-23 will mark the return of Cygnus missions on the Antares 330 rocket. These missions are part of SpaceX’s goal of achieving up to 148 launches in the calendar year.

The NG-20 mission represents an important step in Northrop Grumman’s cargo delivery contract with NASA and their commitment to advancing space exploration. With the innovative use of Falcon 9 rockets and upcoming Antares 330 launches, Northrop Grumman is poised to continue delivering crucial supplies and equipment to the ISS while pushing the boundaries of space technology.