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Solar Arrays Deploy as Cygnus XL Orbits Toward Station

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo craft, carrying 8,200 pounds of science and supplies, approaches the International Space Station for a capture with the Canadarm2 robotic arm commanded by Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick of NASA. The maneuver marked the 50th free-flying capture for the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft with its two cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays deployed approaches the International Space Station on Aug. 6, 2024.
NASA

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft deployed its two solar arrays after launching earlier Sunday at 6:11 p.m. EDT on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to the International Space Station. 

Live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival will begin at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23, or Northrop Grumman CRS-23.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will capture Cygnus XL using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at approximately 6:35 a.m., and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port and will remain at the space station until March 2026.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @NASASpaceOps and @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.