Northrop Grumman's biggest-ever Cygnus XL cargo ship launches today
SpaceX is gearing up to launch Northrop Grumman's biggest-ever Cygnus XL cargo ship on September 14, 2025.
This NG-23 mission marks the 23rd time Northrop Grumman has sent supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's resupply program.
The new Cygnus XL can haul about 29% more than its predecessors and lifts off from Cape Canaveral at 6:11pm EDT.
Cygnus XL will carry these supplies to the ISS
Cygnus XL is packing over 4990kg of gear—think semiconductor crystal systems, tools for better fuel tanks, pharma research materials, and a UV water purifier for the ISS.
Named after Columbia astronaut William "Willie" McCool, it'll be captured by the ISS's Canadarm2 robotic arm and berthed to the station on September 17.
The spacecraft will stay attached until March 2026 before burning up safely in Earth's atmosphere.
Unlike SpaceX's Dragon capsule, Cygnus is single-use
Unlike SpaceX's reusable Dragon capsule, Cygnus XL is single-use—more like Russia's Progress ships.
Still, this mission is a big leap for how much we can send to space in one go.