On April 11, 2026, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo ship, named SS Stephen R. Nagel, to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch took place at 7:41 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission, known as NG-24, marked Northrop Grumman’s 24th resupply flight to NASA, delivering approximately 11,000 pounds of scientific equipment and supplies.
NASA shared that the Cygnus spacecraft honors astronaut Steven Nagel, who flew four Space Shuttle missions and dedicated his career to NASA from 1979 to 1995 before passing away in 2014. After a successful launch, the Falcon 9’s first stage booster returned to Earth, marking its seventh flight. The Cygnus XL cargo ship separated from the Falcon 9 about 14 minutes post-launch and is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on April 13, 2026, where it will be captured by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm.
With its significant carrying capacity, the Cygnus XL continues the legacy of its predecessor, capable of transporting larger payloads than earlier models. In addition to Cygnus, other robotic cargo spacecraft servicing the ISS include Japan’s HTV-X, Russia’s Progress, and SpaceX’s reusable Dragon, which is the only one among them designed for reuse.
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