NG-16 S.S. Ellison Onizuka Cygnus departure

Northrop Grumman’s CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed “S.S. Ellison Onizuka” was unberthed from Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module and released by the Canadarm2 robotic arm on 20 November 2021, at 16:00 UTC (11:00 EST). After departure, the Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE) stowed inside Cygnus will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere. Cygnus will deorbit on 15 December 2021. The NG-16 Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft is named in honor of Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese origin to reach space. Credit: NASA #Cygnus