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Northrop Grumman Cygnus

Northrop Grumman · Reusable Capsule · USA · Digital Age (2010–present)

Northrop Grumman Cygnus — Reusable Capsule
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Cygnus is an expendable American uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions. It was originally built by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financial support from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The spacecraft consists of a pressurized cargo module—based largely on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module and built by Thales Alenia Space—paired with a service module derived from Orbital's GEOStar, a satellite bus. Following a successful demonstration flight in 2013, Orbital was awarded a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.

Specifications

Category
Space
Sub-Category
Capsule
Domain
Dual-Use
Era
Digital Age (2010–present)
Country
USA
Manufacturer
Northrop Grumman
Co-Manufacturer
Thales Alenia
Operator
Northrop Grumman / NASA
Primary Role
Reusable Capsule
Status
In Service
Service Entry
2013
Produced
24
Engine
BT-4 bipropellant thruster (on-orbit)
Thrust / Power
None (on-orbit only)
Launch
Ground (Atlas V / Antares)
Length (ft)
17
Wingspan (ft)
11.5
Payload (lb)
8000
Service Ceiling (ft)
1312000
Max Speed (mph)
17500
Max Speed (Mach)
25