iss063m262770043_NG_Cygnus_14_Launch_201002

NORTHROP GRUMMAN’S CARGO SHIP HEADS FOR THE SPACE STATION Loaded with almost four tons of supplies and scientific experiments, Northrop Grumman’s unpiloted Cygnus cargo ship launched from the Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia October 2 atop the company’s Antares rocket, bound for the International Space Station. Named the “SS Kalpana Chawla” in honor of the late NASA astronaut who lost her life in the Columbia accident in February 2003, Cygnus is scheduled to arrive at the station Oct. 5 where it will be captured by Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA using the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm. Ground controllers will then install Cygnus to the Earth-facing port of the Unity module where it will reside until mid-December