TECHNOLOGY · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL Set to Undock from ISS on Oct. 9
WHY IT MATTERS
The departure marks the end of a successful resupply mission, safely disposing of waste and demonstrating the continued partnership between NASA and commercial providers to support ISS operations.
What happened
On Friday, Oct. 9, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft will depart the International Space Station as part of the company’s CRS‑24 mission. After delivering more than 11,000 pounds of supplies and science experiments, the spacecraft will be grappled by the ISS’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. Flight controllers will detach the Cygnus XL from the Unity module’s Earth‑facing port at 12:45 p.
m. EDT and maneuver it for release. NASA astronaut Luke Delaney will monitor the operation from orbit. The vehicle, loaded with disposal items, will deorbit on Sunday, Oct.
11, and burn up safely in Earth’s atmosphere. Live coverage of the undocking will be streamed from 12:30 p. m. EDT.
PRIMARY SOURCES
NASA to Cover Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Spacecraft Departure
NASA · Jessica Taveau · NASA media usage guidelines; third-party material excluded
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 6, 2026, 7:15 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 6, 2026, 7:15 PM