Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus Spacecraft Completes ISS Mission: Key Highlights Shared by NASA

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus Spacecraft Completes ISS Mission: Key Highlights Shared by NASA
Image credit: NASA

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft departed the International Space Station (ISS) on July 12, marking the end of its mission that began in February. During this mission, Cygnus delivered 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other essential cargo to the ISS.

NASA shared stunning images of Cygnus ahead of its release from the orbital outpost. These images, captured while the spacecraft was still attached to the ISS via the Canadarm2 robotic arm, showcase the spacecraft from various angles in extraordinary detail. After detaching, Cygnus descended to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Cygnus detaching from the ISS Canadarm robotic arm
Image credit: NASA

The mission began at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with Cygnus launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This marked Cygnus' first flight on a Falcon 9, as it is usually launched by an Antares 230+ rocket. However, due to supply chain disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine, the Antares 230+ has been retired. It will be replaced by the Antares 330, developed by Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace, expected to be ready next year.

Cygnus Spacecraft launched at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida 
Image credit: NASA

This latest flight was Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply mission to the ISS for NASA. Since its first operational mission in 2013, Cygnus has experienced only one failure, which occurred in 2014 due to an anomaly with the upper stage of the Antares rocket, not the spacecraft itself.

Cygnus consists of a service module and a pressurized cargo module used to transport crew supplies, equipment, and scientific experiments to the space station, orbiting 250 miles above Earth. The service module includes advanced avionics, guidance, and navigation components that enable Cygnus to autonomously dock with the ISS. Over the years, design improvements have increased its cargo capacity and enhanced various other aspects of the vehicle.