NASA confirmed its plan to send the Cygnus to the International Space Station in October

In August, a source in Russia's space and rocket industry announced that the launch of the next Cygnus transport vessel to the ISS is scheduled for October 21.

The Northrop Grumman-owned cargo spacecraft is expected to be launched from the Vallops space airport in Virginia on the Antares rocket. NASA reports that the launch "will take place no earlier than 2:39 pm UTC October 21".

The upcoming flight is Cygnus' first mission under the second contract of deliveries to ISS.

The ship will bring orbit supplies and materials for scientific experiments, including a special AstroRad Vest that protects against the dangers of space radiation. According to NASA, the ISS crew will have to check if this vest is convenient to use. It is thought that this "new product" can then be used on trips to the moon and Mars.

In addition, Cygnus also brought to the International Space Station an experimental Zero-G oven , designed for cooking under gravity. This oven can also be used in long-term space missions. Another experiment, The Made in Space Recycler, according to NASA, involves processing plastic in space to use as materials for orbital 3D printers.

As noted by NASA, the upcoming flight will be Cygnus' first mission within the scope of the second contract for deliveries to ISS. Unlike previous Cygnus missions, on the upcoming flight, the ship will first carry 'perishable' goods into orbit, so the cargo must be loaded onboard no earlier than 24 hours before launch.

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