liftoff! S.S. Piers Sellers Cygnus Capsule Launch to the International Space Station

Watch on Feb. 19. 2021 Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft lift off atop an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. The Cygnus bears the name S.S. Piers Sellers, in honor of the late NASA astronaut and climate researcher, and will transport research, crew supplies, and hardware to the orbiting laboratory. Onboard science includes:

• A study that examines the effects of a drug on breast and prostate cancer cells
• A new combustion facility
• An investigation on skin aging in microgravity
• New hydrogen sensors that will be tested for the space station’s oxygen generation system
• A system that will test hydroponic and aeroponic techniques for plant growth.

Credit: NASA