"A whopping 11,000 pounds of supplies and scientific instruments that were headed to the International Space Station are in limbo after a high-profile malfunction. Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL spacecraft encountered a serious problem with its main engine during its maiden voyage, NASA announced on Tuesday. The spacecraft, which is just over five feet longer than the aerospace giant's Cygnus spacecraft, launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday evening atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket."
"It's the heaviest supply load to have ever launched to the ISS in a single mission, including fresh food, hardware, spare parts, and several scientific experiments. At first, the mission, dubbed NG-23, went by without a hitch. But then, the craft's main engines shut down earlier than planned, rendering it unable to adjust its orbit and rendezvous with the station. A "new arrival date and time" are "under review," according to the space agency."
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL launched from Cape Canaveral atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying 11,000 pounds of supplies and experiments for the International Space Station. The spacecraft is slightly over five feet longer than previous Cygnus vehicles and represents the heaviest single-load resupply to the ISS. During the mission NG-23, the craft's main engines shut down earlier than planned, preventing orbital adjustments needed to rendezvous with the station. The spacecraft requires capture by the ISS Canadarm2 from about 30 feet away and planned installation on the Unity module's Earth-facing port. A new arrival date and time remain under review.
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