The Antares rocket takes off from the NASA launch site on Wallops Island (Virginia) on November 17, 2018. The rocket transports materials to the International Space Station
The International Space Station expects another payload, launched into orbit from Virginia. This is the second launch in two days. Northrop Grumman launched the Antares rocket from Wallops Island before dawn. Roscosmos sent its delivery on Friday 15 hours earlier.
The American delivery should arrive to the ISS on November 19th. Among the 3350 kg items inside the Cygnus capsule (Cygnus) are ice cream and fresh fruit for the three residents of the station, as well as a three-dimensional printer that processes old plastic into new parts. Of course, Thanksgiving dinners are already in the ISS containers at an altitude of 250 miles. Ahead of another holiday is expected - on November 20, the space station marks its 20th year in orbit. The first part was launched on November 20, 1998 from Kazakhstan.
Recall that Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital ATK in June. The second American supplier for the ISS is the private company SpaceX Ilona Mask. Among the load you can find interesting experiments. For example, one must check how cement hardens in zero gravity. There are medical supplies, a spacesuit and other equipment to replace items that did not arrive last month due to an accident with the Russian Soyuz rocket.
