Northrop Grumman space freighter pauses ISS resupply mission

"NASA has delayed a supply delivery to the International Space Station (ISS) after the engines of Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft did not perform as expected during an orbit-raising burn. This is the enlarged cargo spacecraft's first flight. The Cygnus XL carries 33 percent more payload than its predecessor, and the freighter is loaded with 11,000 pounds of scientific equipment and general cargo. The Register asked NASA for a detailed manifest, but the space agency has yet to respond."

"The freighter lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on September 14 at 2211 UTC. The first stage - which had previously supported the Crew-11 mission, Axiom Mission 4, and a Starlink mission - touched down at SpaceX's Landing Zone 2 and the freighter was deployed approximately ten minutes after launch. The mission, Northrop Grumman CRS-23, is the first in more than a year for the freighter."

"After its scheduled arrival at the station on Wednesday morning, the spacecraft was supposed to have been grappled by the ISS's robotic arm, operated by NASA astronaut Jonny Kim. However, NASA has stated that this will not happen, and a new arrival date and time are "under review" as controllers consider alternative burn plans. Once installed, the freighter is expected to spend six months at the ISS before departing for a destructive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere."

NASA delayed a Cygnus XL supply delivery to the International Space Station after the spacecraft's engines underperformed during an orbit-raising burn. The Cygnus XL is the enlarged cargo spacecraft's first flight and carries 33 percent more payload, with about 11,000 pounds of scientific equipment and general cargo. The vehicle launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on September 14, with the first stage landing at Landing Zone 2 and the freighter deployed roughly ten minutes after liftoff. The mission is Northrop Grumman CRS-23, returning the freighter to flight after a previous mission was canceled due to shipping damage. Scheduled grapple by the ISS's robotic arm was postponed while controllers review alternative burns and a new arrival time. The freighter is expected to remain at the ISS for six months before a destructive reentry. The cargo includes science, spares, consumables, and crew "fun food", and fresh crew supplies are aboard. A potential November unberthing may require holding the spacecraft away from the Russian segment.

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