宇宙へ!横断幕打上、視界良し

東北復興宇宙ミッション2021で、被災地のみなさんの復興10年の思いを刻んだ絹の横断幕が、いよいよ宇宙に旅立ちます。

打上は日本時間で2月21日 午前2時26分、米国東部のNASAワロップス飛行施設から、アンタレスロケットに搭載されたシグナス無人補給船に搭載されて打ち上げられます。

NASAから情報によれば、今のところ現地の天候は上々だそうです。準備の様子を見てみましょう。

左の輝いているのがシグナス補給船。右がアンタレスロケットです。
シグナス補給船の内部。整然としていますね! この荷物のどれかが我らの横断幕なのです。
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft arrives at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad-0A, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 15th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,000 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. The CRS-15 Cygnus spacecraft is named after NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson, a Black woman who time and again broke through barriers of gender and race. The launch is scheduled for 12:36 p.m. EST, Feb. 20, 2021. Photo Credit: (NASA/Patrick Black)

発射台に向かうアンタレスロケット

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is in the vertical launch position on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad-0A, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 15th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,000 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. The CRS-15 Cygnus spacecraft is named after NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson, a Black woman who time and again broke through barriers of gender and race. The launch is scheduled 12:36 p.m. EST, Feb. 20, 2021. Photo Credit: (NASA/Patrick Black)

発射準備OK!