Super-sized space freighter delayed on way to ISS, leaving snacks in jeopardy
(2025/09/17)
- Reference: 1758130215
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/17/cygnus_xl_iss_resupply/
- Source link:
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 [1]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. However, fresh crew supplies are included.
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.
[2]
The mission, Northrop Grumman CRS-23, is the first in more than a year for the freighter. An earlier mission, Northrop Grumman CRS-22 (or NG-22 for short), was called off after the vehicle [3]sustained damage during shipping.
[4]
[5]
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.
[6]SpaceX Dragon gives International Space Station a kick up the orbit
[7]Firefly reckons thermal tweaks will stop next rocket tearing itself apart
[8]NASA mulls sending a rescue rocket to boost Swift observatory's orbit
[9]ISS resupply and trash pickup craft postponed indefinitely after Cygnus container crunch
Once installed, the freighter is expected to spend six months at the ISS before departing for a destructive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.
During a [10]pre-launch briefing , NASA noted that as well as science supplies and ISS spares, the freighter had been loaded with consumables, including "fun food" items for the station's crew.
Another interesting mission event will occur in November, when the Cygnus might need to be unberthed from the ISS and held away from the Russian segment while an incoming Soyuz docks. There is a possibility that NASA might opt to have the Cygnus depart early instead and load the freighter with trash beforehand.
[11]
Before that happens, however, the Cygnus has to reach the ISS. "All other Cygnus XL systems are performing normally," according to NASA, so for the sake of the spare parts and crew treats onboard, the engine anomaly will be swiftly resolved and the freighter attached to the outpost only a day or so later than planned. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/09/16/nasa-northrop-grumman-assessing-cygnus-xl-engine-burn-plan/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aMsveCfol6as9iQ5TRwgrQAAAgU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/27/cygnus_freighter_damaged/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMsveCfol6as9iQ5TRwgrQAAAgU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/spacex_dragon_iss_reboost/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/28/firefly_alpha_clear_launch/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/13/nasa_mulls_sending_a_rescue/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/27/cygnus_freighter_damaged/
[10] https://www.youtube.com/live/RyDPFCcAe6w
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMsveCfol6as9iQ5TRwgrQAAAgU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
This is the enlarged cargo spacecraft's first flight. The [1]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. However, fresh crew supplies are included.
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.
[2]
The mission, Northrop Grumman CRS-23, is the first in more than a year for the freighter. An earlier mission, Northrop Grumman CRS-22 (or NG-22 for short), was called off after the vehicle [3]sustained damage during shipping.
[4]
[5]
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.
[6]SpaceX Dragon gives International Space Station a kick up the orbit
[7]Firefly reckons thermal tweaks will stop next rocket tearing itself apart
[8]NASA mulls sending a rescue rocket to boost Swift observatory's orbit
[9]ISS resupply and trash pickup craft postponed indefinitely after Cygnus container crunch
Once installed, the freighter is expected to spend six months at the ISS before departing for a destructive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.
During a [10]pre-launch briefing , NASA noted that as well as science supplies and ISS spares, the freighter had been loaded with consumables, including "fun food" items for the station's crew.
Another interesting mission event will occur in November, when the Cygnus might need to be unberthed from the ISS and held away from the Russian segment while an incoming Soyuz docks. There is a possibility that NASA might opt to have the Cygnus depart early instead and load the freighter with trash beforehand.
[11]
Before that happens, however, the Cygnus has to reach the ISS. "All other Cygnus XL systems are performing normally," according to NASA, so for the sake of the spare parts and crew treats onboard, the engine anomaly will be swiftly resolved and the freighter attached to the outpost only a day or so later than planned. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/09/16/nasa-northrop-grumman-assessing-cygnus-xl-engine-burn-plan/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aMsveCfol6as9iQ5TRwgrQAAAgU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/27/cygnus_freighter_damaged/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMsveCfol6as9iQ5TRwgrQAAAgU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/spacex_dragon_iss_reboost/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/28/firefly_alpha_clear_launch/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/13/nasa_mulls_sending_a_rescue/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/27/cygnus_freighter_damaged/
[10] https://www.youtube.com/live/RyDPFCcAe6w
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMsveCfol6as9iQ5TRwgrQAAAgU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
touched down at SpaceX's Landing Zone 2 and the freighter was deployed
steelpillow
> approximately ten minutes after launch.
Well, thank goodness "and" does not entail temporal order. It could have been so much worse.
An uncrewed Russian Progress vehicle arrived at the space station on Saturday on a planned cargo supply run.