Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft is en route to the International Space Station following a launch at 6:11 p.m. EDT on Sept. 14 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The uncrewed freighter lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 under the company’s Commercial Resupply Services-23 (CRS-23) mission for NASA, carrying more than 11,000 pounds of scientific investigations, equipment, and crew provisions.
Mission snapshot
- Launch: 6:11 p.m. EDT, Sept. 14, 2025; SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Launch vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9; spacecraft: Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL
- Payload: Over 11,000 lb of research, hardware, and supplies
- Destination: International Space Station in support of Expedition 73 operations
- Rendezvous: Capture planned for approximately 6:35 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 17, using the station’s Canadarm2
- Crew roles: NASA astronaut Jonny Kim (capture), with NASA astronaut Zena Cardman as backup
- Coverage: Live arrival coverage is scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. EDT on NASA platforms
Rendezvous and capture timeline
Cygnus reached preliminary orbit about 10 minutes after liftoff and subsequently deployed its solar arrays. Over the next two days, the spacecraft will conduct a series of orbit-raising and phasing maneuvers to align with the station’s flight path. Final approach includes a sequence of hold points and go/no-go polls before Cygnus enters the capture box for robotic grapple using Canadarm2, followed by ground-controlled berthing operations.
Research and cargo
The manifest includes scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, station maintenance hardware, and crew consumables to support ongoing microgravity research and daily operations. While specific experiments were not detailed in the initial update, the overall mass underscores the cadence of logistics required to sustain multi-month exploration and research aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Program context
The CRS-23 mission advances NASA’s commercial cargo model, leveraging multiple industry partners to maintain continuous ISS operations. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus platform provides pressurized upmass capability and disposal services, while Falcon 9 delivered the spacecraft to its operational orbit for rendezvous.
For the official mission update and schedule details, see NASA’s post: Cygnus XL Cargo Craft Launches on Falcon 9 Rocket to Station.
