SpaceX launches 20th Northrop Grumman ISS resupply mission

Jan. 30 (UPI) -- NASA, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX launched the 20th Northrop Grumman resupply mission to the International Space Station Tuesday.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carrying Northrop Grumman's Cygnus resupply spacecraft took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12:07 p.m. EST.

Falcon 9's first stage craft detached from Cygnus and touched back down at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at approximately 12:17 p.m.

This was Falcon 9's 10th flight supporting the ISS. The SpaceX rocket previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, and four Starlink missions.

The Cygnus resupply craft is carrying more than 8,200 pounds of supplies and equipment that will support scientific research on the ISS. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the space station at 3:20 a.m. Thursday. It will be attached to the space station for about six months before returning to Earth in May.

"Northrop Grumman and SpaceX have each done an amazing job in all aspects of the service they provide ISS," said Jeff Arend, manager of systems engineering and integrated office of the ISS. "And they've stepped up their game even more this time around with a seamless arrangement to launch Cygnus for the first time on a Falcon 9."

Scientific investigations traveling to the ISS include tests of semiconductor manufacturing and a 3D metal printer to discover how the processes are affected by microgravity.

A small surgical robot, which can be operated remotely from Earth, will also be on the resupply mission to the ISS. NASA intends to test its performance in microgravity.

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's 45th Weather Squadron accurately predicted favorable weather for Tuesday's launch, but a backup launch date was set for 11:18 a.m. Thursday.