A Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft has launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying over 11,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. The mission will support research in microgravity, including stem cell production, space weather monitoring, and fundamental physics.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft launches atop a SpaceX.
Photo Credit: NASA
On April 11, 2026, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL spacecraft lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, marking the start of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services 24 mission. Carrying approximately 11,000 pounds of science and supplies to the International Space Station, this was the second flight of the larger, more cargo-capable Cygnus XL. The spacecraft was named the S.S. Steven R. Nagel, in honour of the former NASA astronaut who flew four space shuttle missions and logged 723 hours in space.
According to NASA the cargo spacecraft will carry numerous scientific experiments for the Expedition 74/75 crew aboard the ISS. One of them is the addition of a new unit to the Cold Atom Lab in order to conduct more complex research related to general relativity, the composition of planets, and dark matter. Another piece of equipment will enable scientists to manufacture more therapeutic stem cells for treating blood disorders and cancers using the unique microgravity environment in space.
The arrival of Cygnus XL will be managed by NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams. While Jack will control the Canadarm2 robotic arm, Chris will oversee the spacecraft on its approach. Cygnus XL is not only carrying model organisms to help in the research concerning the human gut microbiome, but is also carrying a receiver that can improve our models on space weather for the benefit of protecting critical systems like GPS and radar. It will spend about two years docked at the ISS before leaving with thousands of pounds of garbage.
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