Apparent engine problem delays Cygnus' arrival with ISS, says NASA
NASA and aerospace manufacturer Northrop Grumman announced Tuesday night a delay in the arrival of their Cygnus XL cargo craft to the International Space Station due to an apparent engine problem.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft for NASA at 6:11 p.m. EDT on a Cargo Resupply Mission from Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,Florida on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. It was supposed to dock with the ISS on Wednesday, but apparent engine issues has forced a delay. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI UPI
Sept. 17 (UPI) -- NASA and aerospace manufacturer Northrop Grumman announced Tuesday night a delay in the arrival of their Cygnus XL cargo craft to the International Space Station due to an apparent engine problem.
The craft with 11,000 pounds of scientific equipment and cargo launched Sunday evening, with plans to dock with the orbital laboratory on Wednesday.
That schedule has now been shelved, as NASA said in a blog post that a new arrival date and time was under review after the Cygnus XL's main engine "stopped earlier than planned" early Tuesday during two burns designed to raise the orbit of the craft for rendezvous with the ISS.
It was not clear by how much craft's orbit fell short of the ISS. NASA did not state the issue with the engine.
"All other Cygnus XL systems are performing normally," NASA said in the post.
The craft had launched at 6:11 p.m. EDT Sunday from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
It is supposed to deliver scientific equipment, food and other routine supplies to the ISS crew and remain docked with the station until March 2026, when it will begin its descent, burning up as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere.
