The U.S. cargo spacecraft Cygnus has docked with the International Space Station (ISS), according to NASA.
“The docking is complete. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft is attached to the International Space Station’s Unity module, where it will remain for three months,” NASA said in a Twitter post.
Capture of @NorthropGrumman's Cygnus spacecraft confirmed at 4:38am ET. Using the @Space_Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm, @Astro_Soichi captured the S.S. Katherine Johnson cargo ship, which is delivering about 8,000 lbs of supplies & @ISS_Research to our orbiting lab. pic.twitter.com/cZiARt6tRK
— NASA (@NASA) February 22, 2021
It was reported that among the new experiments to the ISS will be delivered a system for producing water from the urine of astronauts, a system for detecting radiation, which is planned to be used during a manned flight to the moon orbit, as well as an experiment for growing protein crystals in zero gravity conditions. In addition, the experiment will arrive in orbit to study the effects of weightlessness on muscle mass, which is carried out on roundworms, as well as the “space computer”, which in the future, as hoped at NASA, will be used to improve the efficiency of data processing of scientific experiments.
In January, a NASA spokeswoman told an agency advisory board meeting about plans to bring air components on the Cygnus truck to resupply the station and maintain the necessary pressure on it until its leak is repaired.
