NASA will host a media teleconference at noon EST Monday, March 6, to discuss science investigations launching on the next Orbital ATK commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station. The briefing will stream live on NASA’s website.

Orbital ATK is targeting Sunday, March 19 for the launch of its Cygnus spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A 30-minute launch window opens at 10:56 p.m. EDT.

Participants in Monday’s briefing are:

Henry Martin, external payloads coordinator from NanoRacks in Houston, will discuss some of the 38 CubeSats scheduled to be deployed from the space station, including QB50, a group of CubeSats from 28 universities around the world.

Howard Levine, project scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will discuss an advanced plant habitat for studying plant physiology and growing fresh food in space.

John Dec, principle investigator of the Red-Data 2 experiment at Terminal Velocity Aerospace in Atlanta, Georgia, will highlight a new type of recording device scheduled to ride along Cygnus as it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere to provide data about the conditions the spacecraft encounters during atmospheric reentry.

Glauco Souza, principal investigator, n3D Biosciences in Houston, will discuss how using magnetized cells and tools will improve the reproducibility of experiments in space.

Sourav Sinha, principal investigator for ADCs in Microgravity at Oncolinx LLC in Boston, will discuss an antibody investigation to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and reduce side effects.

To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Cheryl Warner at 202-358-1100 or cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov by 10 a.m. Monday, for dial-in information.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at:

http://www.nasa.gov/live

In addition to scientific research, the Cygnus spacecraft will carry crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 50 and 51 crews under the seventh contracted mission by Orbital ATK under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract.

For launch countdown coverage, NASA’s launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orbitalatk