Progress 93 and Cygnus XL bring supplies and science gear to the ISS in back-to-back missions.
Progress 93 and Cygnus XL cargo ships prepare to resupply the ISS with science and supplies.
Photo Credit: NASA
One cargo spacecraft is closing in on the International Space Station (ISS) while another waits on the launch pad for liftoff, marking a busy weekend for Expedition 73. The Roscosmos Progress 93 cargo craft, carrying three tonnes of food, fuel, and supplies, launched Thursday and is scheduled to dock Saturday with the station's Zvezda module. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman's expanded Cygnus XL will lift off Sunday from Cape Canaveral carrying its largest-ever payload, keeping orbital residents supplied while they continue health and science research.
According to NASA, Progress 93 will perform automated manoeuvres before docking at 1:27 p.m. Station Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky will oversee its arrival before beginning unpacking on Sunday.
NASA+ will broadcast live coverage starting at 12:30 p.m. The Cygnus XL, loaded with over 11,000 pounds of science and equipment, is scheduled to rendezvous Wednesday morning, when Canadarm2 will capture it under the guidance of astronauts Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman.
Crew members are engaged in research and cargo operations, including space radiation monitor cable replacement, microgravity testing, biomedical studies, fermentation experiments, and plasma physics research.
With Progress 93's arrival and Cygnus XL's launch, Expedition 73 is preparing for two overlapping deliveries. NASA says both missions highlight international collaboration and the critical flow of science and supplies to the orbital outpost.
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