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Cygnus Cargo Mission to ISS Delayed Due to Spacecraft Damage
WASHINGTON — A planned Cygnus cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS), a collaborative venture between NASA and Northrop Grumman, has been postponed from its June target launch date. This rescheduling comes after the discovery of damage to the spacecraft’s pressurized cargo module.
Damaged Cargo Module Forces Mission Postponement
According to a NASA statement released on March 26, the Pressurized Cargo Module intended for the Cygnus NG-22 resupply mission sustained damage and will be withdrawn from service for this flight, initially slated for June. The subsequent Cygnus mission, designated NG-23, is now anticipated to launch no earlier than the fall of 2025.
“The pressurized cargo module for Northrop Grumman’s NG-22 Cygnus cargo resupply mission was damaged during transit from the supplier,” confirmed company spokesman Dan Leone in a statement on March 27. “We are currently evaluating the potential impact on the NG-22 mission timeline. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to expedite the hardware for NG-23 to facilitate a launch as early as fall 2025. Our primary commitment remains the safe and timely delivery of essential cargo and supplies to the International Space Station crew.”
Anticipating Potential Delays and Cargo Adjustments
NASA had previously signaled the possibility of spacecraft damage three weeks prior, following a report from Northrop Grumman regarding damage to the module’s shipping container during what the company termed a “commercial shipping incident” en route to the launch facility. At that juncture, the agency indicated it would modify the cargo manifest for the upcoming SpaceX Dragon mission, SpX-32, prioritizing crew provisions and station hardware over certain scientific experiments in anticipation of a potential NG-22 delay.
“Mission timeline shifts present a significant challenge,” stated Dana Weigel, NASA ISS program manager, during a briefing on March 7. She highlighted that NG-22 was initially scheduled for February but faced an earlier postponement due to an avionics issue that had not been widely publicized by either NASA or Northrop Grumman.
Addressing the decision to prioritize consumables over research payloads on SpX-32, Weigel explained, “Another shift in our cargo missions necessitates adjustments to accommodate increased food supplies.” The SpX-32 Dragon mission is currently scheduled for launch no sooner than April 21.
NASA further stated it will collaborate with Northrop Grumman “to determine if the damaged Cygnus cargo module is suitable for a future flight to the space station.”
Cargo Manifest Adjustments and Resupply Missions
The agency has not yet specified the extent of research cargo removal from SpX-32 to accommodate supplementary consumables. The preceding cargo Dragon mission, SpX-31 in November, transported 961 kilograms of crew supplies and 917 kilograms of science investigations. SpX-30, launched in March 2024, carried 545 kilograms of crew supplies and 1,135 kilograms of science investigations.
Commercial Resupply Services and Future Cargo Launches
Both Northrop Grumman and SpaceX have been key partners in transporting cargo to and from the ISS under a series of Commercial Resupply Services contracts since 2008. Sierra Space, a third company, also holds a Commercial Resupply Services contract but is yet to conduct its inaugural flight of the Dream Chaser vehicle following considerable delays.
“We are currently targeting the end of summer for the first Dream Chaser launch,” stated Erik Daehler, vice president at Sierra Space, at the Satellite 2025 conference on March 10. He clarified that this timeline is contingent upon the ISS visiting vehicle schedule, as well as “final closeouts” and testing of Dream Chaser. “We are enthusiastic about our first mission this year.”
The Japanese space agency JAXA is also developing HTV-X, an enhanced version of its HTV cargo spacecraft for the station. The initial HTV-X launch is projected for as early as this fall.
Current Cygnus Spacecraft Departure
The NG-21 Cygnus spacecraft has been docked at the station since August, having successfully arrived despite earlier technical complications that initially hindered orbit-raising maneuvers. The station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm is scheduled to detach the Cygnus from the station early on March 28, with a planned destructive reentry of the spacecraft on March 30.