## Cygnus XL Cargo Craft Installed on ISS: A New Era of Resupply **News Title/Type:** Cygnus XL Cargo Craft Installed on Station’s Unity Module **Report Provider/Author:** NASA, Mark A. Garcia **Date/Time Period Covered:** Launched September 14, 2025, 6:11 p.m. EDT. Installed on the International Space Station (ISS) until Spring 2026. **Relevant News Identifiers:** NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23 (Northrop Grumman CRS-23) ### Critical Information: * **Successful Installation:** Northrop Grumman's new Cygnus XL spacecraft has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS). This marks the first flight of the larger, more cargo-capable version of the Cygnus spacecraft. * **Mission Objective:** The mission, designated Northrop Grumman CRS-23, is part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program. * **Cargo Capacity:** The Cygnus XL is carrying over **11,000 pounds** of essential research and supplies to the ISS. * **Launch Details:** The spacecraft was launched on a **SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket** from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on **September 14, 2025, at 6:11 p.m. EDT**. * **Operational Duration:** Cygnus XL is scheduled to remain attached to the ISS until **Spring 2026**. * **Debris Disposal:** Upon departure, the Cygnus spacecraft will be used to dispose of several thousand pounds of debris by burning up harmlessly during its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. * **Future Implications:** The Cygnus XL represents a significant advancement in cargo capability for resupply missions to the ISS, indicating a trend towards larger and more efficient cargo transport. ### Key Statistics and Metrics: * **Cargo Weight:** Over **11,000 pounds** of research and supplies. * **Launch Date:** **September 14, 2025**. * **Launch Time:** **6:11 p.m. EDT**. * **Departure Timeline:** **Spring 2026**. * **Debris Disposal:** Several thousand pounds of debris. ### Significant Trends or Changes: * **Introduction of Cygnus XL:** This mission signifies the debut of the larger and more cargo-capable Cygnus XL variant, indicating an evolution in Northrop Grumman's resupply capabilities. * **Increased Cargo Capacity:** The "XL" designation suggests an enhanced ability to transport larger volumes of supplies and equipment to the ISS. ### Notable Risks or Concerns: * While not explicitly stated as a risk in this report, the successful re-entry and disposal of the Cygnus spacecraft are critical for space debris management. The report assures this will be done "harmlessly." ### Financial Data: * No specific financial data is provided in this news report. ### Further Information: * For more details on station activities, follow the space station blog, @NASASpaceOps and @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
Cygnus XL Cargo Craft Installed on Station’s Unity Module - NASA
Read original at NASA →Northrop Grumman’s new Cygnus XL spacecraft has been installed to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23, or Northrop Grumman CRS-23. Filled with more than 11,000 pounds of research and supplies, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft, carried on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched at 6:11 p.
m. EDT on Sept. 14, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission will be the first flight of the Cygnus XL, the larger, more cargo-capable version of the company’s solar-powered spacecraft. Cygnus will remain at the space station until spring when it departs the orbiting laboratory at which point it will dispose of several thousand pounds of debris through its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere where it will harmlessly burn up.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @NASASpaceOps and @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
