The International Space Station is set for back-to-back cargo traffic this week, with Russia’s Progress 93 targeting an automatic docking just as NASA and Northrop Grumman prepare the NG-23 Cygnus XL resupply mission for launch. The tightly sequenced operations follow the departure of Progress 91, clearing the Zvezda service module’s aft port for the incoming freighter and setting the stage for another high-cadence logistics window supporting Expedition 73.
Progress traffic on the Russian segment
Progress 93 rolled to the Baikonur launch pad ahead of its planned liftoff at 11:54 a.m. EDT on Thursday. Loaded with 2.8 tons of food, fuel, and supplies, the cargo ship is scheduled to dock at the ISS at 1:27 p.m. EDT on Saturday, targeting the Zvezda aft port. Prior to arrival, Progress 91 will undock at 11:45 a.m. EDT on Tuesday for a same-day, destructive reentry over the Pacific.
Onboard, cosmonauts trained for remote monitoring and potential manual takeover in case the automated rendezvous sequence requires human-in-the-loop support, a standard contingency drill ahead of every Progress docking. NASA+ plans live coverage beginning at 11:30 a.m. EDT for launch on Thursday and at 12:30 p.m. EDT for docking on Saturday.
Cygnus XL on deck
Next in line is NASA’s commercial resupply services mission NG-23, with Cygnus XL set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:11 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 14. Cygnus is scheduled for capture by the station’s Canadarm2 at 6:35 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 17, before being berthed to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for approximately six months of cargo operations. The spacecraft will deliver more than 11,000 pounds of equipment and research, including advanced studies aimed at improving health outcomes on Earth and in microgravity.
Operations timeline
- Tuesday: Progress 91 undocks from Zvezda aft port at 11:45 a.m. EDT; disposal reentry follows.
- Thursday: Progress 93 launches at 11:54 a.m. EDT (NASA+ coverage begins 11:30 a.m.).
- Saturday: Progress 93 docks at 1:27 p.m. EDT (NASA+ coverage begins 12:30 p.m.).
- Sunday, Sept. 14: NG-23 Cygnus XL launches on Falcon 9 at 6:11 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral.
- Wednesday, Sept. 17: Cygnus capture by Canadarm2 at 6:35 a.m. EDT; berthing to Unity nadir to follow.
All times EDT and subject to change.
Science and crew activity
As the cargo cadence ramps up, Expedition 73 is advancing human physiology and plant biology investigations. NASA astronauts conducted CIPHER-related assessments of balance and spatial orientation using virtual reality stimuli, along with retinal response and ocular imaging to track spaceflight effects on the eye and optic nerve. JAXA’s Kibo module supported the Plant Cell Division experiment, with tobacco cell samples preserved and incubated ahead of microscopy, and algae processing slated next to study cell division dynamics in microgravity. On the Russian segment, cardiorespiratory monitoring and treadmill evaluations continued to refine countermeasures for long-duration flight.
These studies align with the incoming resupply of science hardware on NG-23 and the steady logistics flow from Progress 93, sustaining ISS research and maintenance as the program executes a closely timed sequence of visiting vehicle operations.
Source: NASA blog update
