NG-24: SpaceX Launches Cygnus XL Resupply Freight To The Space Station

SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the NG-24 mission. The spacecraft, named the 'S.S. Steven R. Nagel', carried over 5 metric tons) of essential supplies, scientific experiments, and hardware for the Expedition 74 crew, marking the second flight of the enhanced Cygnus XL variant.

"And liftoff! Science and supplies soaring to the International Space Station aboard the S.S. Steven R. Nagel," NASA spokesperson Sandra Jones said during live commentary.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster(B1094) executed a flawless landing back at Cape Canaveral, completing its seventh flight. Cygnus XL was scheduled to arrive at the ISS on April 13, 2026, where it would be captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm and berthed to the Unity module's Earth-facing port.

The Cygnus XL represents a significant upgrade, featuring a 20% increase in pressurized cargo volume compared to previous models, with a pressurized cargo module measuring 7.89 meters in length and a total capacity of 36 cubic meters.

The cargo manifest includes 1,410 kg of crew supplies, 1,075 kg of science investigations, 65 kg of spacewalk equipment, 2,120 kg of vehicle hardware, and 330 kg of computer resources.

Notable payloads include a new module for the Cold Atom Laboratory, hardware for biological research, a radio receiver for observing the ionosphere, the ClimCam climate camera (developed by Kenya, Egypt, and Uganda), and the LEOPARDSat-1 CubeSat to test radiation-blocking carbon sheeting.

This mission is part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract and is the fourth and final Cygnus launch on a Falcon 9, following the retirement of Northrop Grumman's Antares 230+ rocket in 2023 due to supply chain disruptions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The S.S. Steven R. Nagel honors Steven R. Nagel, a NASA astronaut who flew four Space Shuttle missions and logged over 720 hours in space before his death in 2014.

Like all Cygnus spacecraft, the XL is a one-way vehicle; after its mission, it will be loaded with station waste, detached, and perform a controlled de-orbit maneuver to burn up safely in Earth's atmosphere. This is unlike the SpaceX cargo Dragon which is reusable.