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SpaceX launched begin a huge cargo ship filled with over 5 tons of equipment for astronauts on the International Dwelling Establish early Saturday, then aced a rocket touchdown minutes after the Florida liftoff.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches into orbit carrying the huge Cygnus XL NG-24 cargo ship for Northrop Grumman from Cape Canaveral Dwelling Power Establish, Florida to lift 11,000 kilos of supplies to the International Dwelling Establish on April 11, 2026. (Image credit rating: NASA/SpaceX)
The robotic Cygnus XL will advance at the ISS on Monday (April 13), when that is also grappled by the orbiting lab’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. That capture is scheduled for 12:50 p.m. EDT (1650 GMT), NASA acknowledged.
“This Cygnus spacecraft named the S.S. Steven R. Nagel in honor of the astronaut who flew four space shuttle missions and logged more than 720 hours in space.,” Jones acknowledged.
NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services and products 24 spacecraft is named in honor of NASA astronaut Steven Nagel, who flew on four shuttle missions, commanded two of them and flew for NASA from 1979 to 1995. He died in 2014. (Image credit rating: NASA)
Nagel, an Air Power take a look at pilot, served as a NASA astronaut in from 1979 to 1995 and flew on four shuttle missions. His first flight modified into once as a mission specialist, then he flew as pilot and commanded his final two missions. Nagel died in 2014 at the age 67 after a protracted sickness, in accordance to NASA.
Nagel’s namesake Cygnus XL freighter will lift about 11,000 kilos (4,990 kilograms) of science equipment and supplies to the astronauts aboard the residing. That load-carrying skill explains Cygnus XL’s title: The distinctive version of the freighter, which flew more than 20 missions to the ISS, maxed out at about 8,500 kilos (3,856 kg) of payload.
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Saturday’s begin modified into once the 2nd flight of the Cygnus XL to date. Basically the most important one launched final September, additionally atop a SpaceX Falcon 9. It stayed linked to the ISS for six months, departing on March 12 to fritter away in Earth’s ambiance. The mission profile is roughly the the same for this 2nd Cygnus XL.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket first stage booster returns to Earth to land at Cape Canaveral Dwelling Power Establish in Florida after launching the NG-24 cargo mission for NASA and Northrop Grumman on April 11, 2026. It modified into once the seventh flight for the booster. (Image credit rating: NASA/SpaceX)
The mission modified into once additionally the seventh flight for the SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage that propelled the cargo ship toward orbit. It returned to Earth about 8 minutes after liftoff to blueprint a gradual touchdown at a SpaceX pad at Cape Canaveral Dwelling Power Establish. The booster launched Northrop Grumman’s outdated cargo fligth NG-23, NASA’s Crew-11 astronaut flight, the Axiom Dwelling Ax-4 astronaut flight and three Starlink missions, in accordance to a SpaceX description.
Excellent over 14 minutes after liftoff, the NG-24 Cygnus XL cargo ship separted from the Falcon 9 upper stage to entire its initial orbit. It would deploy its solar arrays about one hour after liftoff to proceed its budge to the ISS.
The Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo ship S.S. Steven Nagel heads into residing after launching into orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 11, 2026. (Image credit rating: NASA/SpaceX)
The Northrop Grumman automobile is one of four robotic cargo spacecraft that service the ISS, together with Japan’s HTV-X, Russia’s Progress and SpaceX’s Dragon.
Dragon is the single one of these freighters that’s reusable. The assorted three will die fiery deaths in Earth’s ambiance when their time in orbit is up.
Michael Wall is the Spaceflight and Tech Editor for Dwelling.com and joined the team in 2010. He basically covers human and robotic spaceflight, defense power residing, and exoplanets, however has been known to dabble in the residing art beat. His e book referring to the glance alien lifestyles, “Out There,” modified into once printed on Nov. 13, 2018. Sooner than turning into a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the College of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s stage from the College of Arizona, and a graduate certificates in science writing from the College of California, Santa Cruz. To rep out what his most up-to-date project is, you are going to be in a region to note Michael on Twitter.
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