PHOTOS: Cygnus NG-19 Rocket Launches, Carrying Specialized Cargo to International Space Station

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (FNN) – With no weather in the area disrupting the launch countdown, the Cygnus NG-19 mission successfully lifted off on time at 8:31pm EST Tuesday.

For the past 10 years, the Cygnus spacecraft has been helping to resupply and service the International Space Station. During the first mission on September 18th, 2013, just 1,300 pounds of cargo were carried to the Space Station. The missions and capacity of the craft has expanded over the years, and with the completion of Tuesday’s launch, over 8,000 pounds (over four tons) of cargo were sent into orbit.

Tuesday’s mission included significant changes to the rocket that was being used to carry the payload to orbit. Besides delivering extra food to the astronauts currently on the ISS, the Cygnus craft will also assist in raising the orbit of the station (which is done from time to time to prevent the ISS from deorbiting), and deliver a series of new science experiments that current and future astronauts on station will work on.

On top of the mission profile, this mission marks the last time Cygnus will travel atop the Antares 230+ Rocket, with a new vehicle being worked on for all future missions in partnership with Firefly. In the meantime, SpaceX will take over, being the main transport rocket for a select few Cygnus missions. This Antares 230+ configuration uses engines and parts from Russian and Ukrainian partners, so the end of this mission will be the end of the current partnership with Pivdenmash and NPO Energomash from Ukraine and Russia respectively.

Also, as with all other Northrop Grumman missions, each vehicle is dedicated to a specific individual who would be considered a pioneer in human spaceflight. For this particular mission, the craft has been dedicated to Laurel Blair Clark, one of the seven astronauts who unfortunately died during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. Her reputation and body of work with NASA is expansive and is an inspiration to all who are interested in space, science, and spaceflight.

Though most eyes stay focused on the Kennedy Space Center for its obvious history and fame, the launch facility on Wallops Island is just as important and decorated as the launch sites in Florida, providing an important base for vehicle research, smaller student-based missions, and, of course, ISS resupply from well-decorated companies and launch providers.

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Nickolas Wolf is a national photojournalist for Florida National News, part of the FNN News Network.