Huge Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo ship arrives at space station

The S.S. Steven R. Nagel has arrived at the International Space Station.

The second of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft to deliver supplies to the orbiting outpost, the vehicle was captured by the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at 1:20 p.m. EDT (1720 GMT) on Monday (April 13).

“Cygnus capture is complete,” radioed Chris Williams, a NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer, to Mission Control. “The S.S. Steven Nagel, welcome aboard the ISS!”

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Williams was at the controls of the arm when the spaceship was grappled. Assisting him was fellow NASA ast Jack Hathaway. Flight controllers on the ground will next take control of the arm to berth the Cygnus on the Earth-facing port of the station’s Unity Node 1 for unloading.

On board the S.S. Steven R. Nagel, which was named for a late space shuttle-era astronaut, are about 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg) of science equipment and logistics for the Expedition 74 crew. Among the specific research studies being delivered are quantum science module that could advance the hunt for dark matter, as well as improve computing technology and the equipment needed to increase therapeutic stem cell production to treat cancer and blood diseases.

Cygnus is also carrying a gut microbiome study and a receiver that could help protect space-based GPS and radar systems by improving our ability to predict space weather.

Launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on Saturday (April 11), the S.S. Steven R. Nagel is scheduled to stayed attached ot the space station until October. The flight is Northrop Grumman’s 24th under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-24) contract.