Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL S.S. Steven R. Nagel undocks Friday
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo ship, named S.S. Steven R. Nagel, is set to leave the International Space Station on Friday, October 9.
The whole undocking process, managed by the station's robotic Canadarm2, kicks off at 12:45pm EDT, with NASA streaming it live from 12:30pm on Space.com if you want to catch a glimpse.
Cygnus ISS trash burns October 11
After spending six months in space (it launched April 11), Cygnus XL is heading home packed with several thousand pounds of ISS trash that'll burn up safely in Earth's atmosphere on October 11.
Unlike SpaceX's reusable Dragon capsule, Cygnus XL is single-use and depends on Canadarm2 for docking moves.
NASA astronaut Luke Delaney will be overseeing the departure from aboard the ISS, a reminder of how crucial these supply missions are for keeping science going in orbit.