The Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft supporting Northrop Grumman’s 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled to depart the International Space Station (ISS) on 12 March after completing its delivery mission.
During its stay at the orbiting laboratory, Cygnus XL delivered more than 11,000 pounds of supplies, scientific experiments, hardware and other cargo for NASA and its international partners.
Flight controllers will command the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach the spacecraft from the Earth-facing port of the Unity module and manoeuvre it into position before release. European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot will monitor Cygnus systems as it departs the station.
Following its departure, the spacecraft will remain in orbit briefly before being commanded to deorbit on 14 March. During re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, Cygnus will dispose of several thousand pounds of station waste, burning up harmlessly.
The mission launched in September 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This flight also marked the first mission of the upgraded Cygnus XL spacecraft, a larger and more cargo-capable version of the solar-powered resupply vehicle designed to support ongoing logistics operations for the International Space Station.
Image: Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, loaded with more than 11,000 pounds of science and supplies for Expedition 73, is seen grasped by the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 after its capture on Sept. 18, 2025, as both spacecraft orbited 257 miles above Tanzania.
Credit: NASA
