WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 29, to discuss science investigations and technology demonstrations launching on Northrop Grumman's 13th commercial resupply mission for the agency to the International Space Station.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at: 

http://www.nasa.gov/live

Northrop Grumman is targeting Sunday, Feb. 9, at 5:39 p.m., for the launch of its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.

Heidi Parris, assistant program scientist for the International Space Station Program Science Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Liz Warren, senior associate program scientist for the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, will provide an overview of the research and technology aboard the Cygnus spacecraft.

Also participating in the briefing are:

• Caitlin O'Connell, principal investigator, and Devin Ridgley, chief biologist, SCORPIO-V, a division of HNu Photonics, will discuss the Mobile SpaceLab, a tissue and cell culturing facility that can perform a biology experiment without the need for crew operations for as long as a month.
• Bruce Hammer, professor of radiology at the University of Minnesota, and Louis Kidder, a research scientist in bone physiology at the University of Minnesota, will discuss OsteoOmics, which investigates the molecular mechanisms behind bone loss in microgravity.
• Vatsan Raman, principal investigator and assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, and co-investigator Heath Mills, will discuss Phage Evolution, which examines the effects of microgravity and radiation exposure on viruses that target human bacteria without harming human cells or the body's beneficial bacteria population. The investigation results could ultimately help protect the health of astronauts on future missions.
• David Urban, principal investigator, and Gary Ruff, project manager, will discuss the Spacecraft Fire Experiment-IV (Saffire-IV) investigation, which will examine the development and growth of a fire in different materials and environmental conditions.

To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Gina Anderson at 202-358-1160 or gina.n.anderson@nasa.gov by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, for dial-in information. 

The Cygnus spacecraft will carry crew supplies, scientific research and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 61 and 62 crews for the 13th mission under Northrop Grumman's Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract with NASA.

For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman

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SOURCE NASA

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 17, to discuss select science investigations and technology demonstrations launching on Northrop Grumman's 12th commercial resupply mission for the agency to the International Space Station.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at:

http://www.nasa.gov/live

Northrop Grumman is targeting Saturday, Nov. 2, at 9:59 a.m., for the launch of its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket from pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.

Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist for the International Space Station Program Science Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Michael Roberts, interim chief scientist for the ISS U.S. National Lab, will provide an overview of the research and technology aboard the Cygnus spacecraft.

Also participating in the briefing are:

• Thomas Krueger, team lead of the European Space Agency's Human-Robot Interaction Lab, will discuss the ANALOG-1 investigation, which will test telerobotic operations under microgravity conditions aboard the space station.
• Mike Snyder, founder, board member, and Chief Engineer for Made In Space, will discuss Made in Space's Recycler, which will test systems needed to reprocess plastic into 3D printing filament in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. The Recycler will utilize polymer materials to produce filament that can be transferred to the Made in Space 3D printer that has operated on the orbiting laboratory since 2016.
• Brian York, principal investigator of the Rodent Research-14 investigation, will discuss how the investigation studies the effects of microgravity on the biological circadian rhythm and key organ tissues, including the colon, heart, lung, liver, kidney and hypothalamus. This investigation advances research on the most common liver disease in humans.
• Kathleen Coderre, principal investigator, will discuss AstroRad, a new vest that could protect astronauts' vital organs from deep-space radiation. Knowledge gained could also aid the development of shielding technologies for patients on Earth receiving radiation treatments.

To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Gina Anderson at 202-358-1160 or gina.n.anderson@nasa.gov by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, for dial-in information.

The Cygnus spacecraft will carry crew supplies, scientific research and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 60 and 61 crews for the 12th mission under Northrop Grumman's Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract with NASA.

For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman

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SOURCE NASA

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 10, to discuss select science investigations and technology demonstrations launching on the next Northrop Grumman commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at: 

http://www.nasa.gov/live

Northrop Grumman is targeting Wednesday, April 17, for the launch of its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket from pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia.

Pete Hasbrook, associate program scientist for the International Space Station Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Patrick O'Neill, senior manager of marketing and communications for the station's National Lab, will provide an overview of the research and technology aboard Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft.

Also participating in Wednesday's briefing are:

• Richard L. Hughson, Schlegel Research Chair in Vascular Aging and Brain Health and senior director of research at the University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging, will discuss the Vascular Aging investigation, which analyzes ultrasounds of the arteries and wearable sensors of the space station crew members.
• Roberto Piazza, professor of condensed matter physics, Polytechnic University of Milan, will discuss the Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10) investigation, which tests gels in a microgravity environment. Knowledge gained from this investigation can be applied in efforts to grow increasingly complex materials used to build new materials and equipment in space.
• Trevor Castor, President and CEO of Aphios Corporation, will discuss Targeted Nanoparticles for Orphan and Chronic Diseases in a Microgravity Environment Using Green SuperFluids Technology (STaARS BioScience-11) investigation. Nanosomes or nanoparticle delivery systems are being studied for use in targeting chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's and HIV. Nanoparticles created in microgravity are much smaller, enhancing drug uptake and delivery. This approach potentially reduces the required dose per treatment and decreases cost per dose.
• Laura Shaw, International Space Station Program Lead for Exploration Life Support Systems, and John Garr, Exploration Life Support System Integrator, will discuss the Thermal Amine Scrubber, a technology that tests a method to remove carbon dioxide from air aboard the orbiting outpost. NASA will use the station as the testbed to evolve the station's life support system into an evolved system for use on Gateway to support missions to the Moon and eventually for Mars missions. 
• Brian Banker, Seeker deputy project manager, will discuss Seeker, a flying robot prototype to be used outside spacecraft to perform inspections. This investigation will take place after the Cygnus resupply spacecraft leaves the space station and will fly the robot on basic maneuvers to take high-resolution images of Cygnus.

To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Gina Anderson at 202-358-1100 or gina.anderson@nasa.gov by 10 a.m. Tuesday, for dial-in information. 

The Cygnus spacecraft will carry crew supplies, scientific research and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 59 and 60 crews for the 11th contracted mission by Northrop Grumman under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract.

For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman

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SOURCE NASA