By MARCIA DUNN – AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A Northrop Grumman cargo capsule had a solar panel problem after liftoff Monday to the International Space Station.
Only one of the Cygnus capsule’s two solar panels was successfully deployed after the dawn liftoff from Virginia.
Northrop Grumman officials have assured NASA that there will be enough power from the solar panels for the planned rendezvous with the space station on Wednesday, but the space agency is still evaluating the situation.
It’s too early to tell if the capsule is strong enough to be picked up by the space station’s robotic arm, if the problem persists, said NASA’s Dina Contella, a space station manager.
Northrop Grumman launched the capsule off the coast of Wallops Island with more than 8,200 pounds of equipment and experiments, including brackets needed for future spacewalks to upgrade the space station’s power grid. It’s called the SS Sally Ride after the first American woman in space who died a decade ago.
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The Virginia-based company has been sending cargo to the space station since 2013. There has been only one failure in the past 18 deliveries, a launch explosion in 2014.
SpaceX is NASA’s other contracted delivery service.
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