NEW YORK, February 21. /TASS/. The US-made Cygnus cargo spacecraft docked the International Space Station Monday, according to a livestream at the NASA website.
The docking happened at 15:02 Moscow time. ISS crew members NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron grabbed the spacecraft with the Canadarm2 manipulator and brought it to the Unity module docking hatch.
The spacecraft, built by Northrop Grumman, delivered over 3.7 tonnes of various cargo to the Space Station - food, spare parts and scientific equipment, including for research of skin aging in zero gravity and medications’ effect on tumors, as well as a new plant growing system.
The spacecraft is scheduled to undock in May. The spacecraft, loaded with trash and waste, will undock, launch CubeSat micro satellites into orbit, and will burn in the atmosphere about two weeks later.
The Cygnus spacecraft was launched via an Antares rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility (Virginia) on February 19. The rocket’s first stage uses an RD-181 engine, built in Russia.