CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A new supply ship launched for the International Space Station is facing unexpected engine issues, putting its mission on hold. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule launched successfully on Sunday from Florida using a SpaceX rocket. However, less than two days into the flight, one of its main engines shut down early during an orbit adjustment.
The Cygnus capsule was set to deliver over 11,000 pounds of essential cargo to the station, including food, scientific experiments, and spare parts for the astronauts’ living systems, like the toilet. Unfortunately, the planned docking has been postponed as flight controllers explore alternative options for the capsule.
This mission was the first for Northrop Grumman’s newly designed Cygnus XL, capable of carrying larger payloads compared to its predecessors. Northrop Grumman is one of NASA’s two contracted suppliers for cargo delivery to the space station, alongside SpaceX. Russia also contributes to the supply chain with regular shipments to the 260-mile-high space lab, the latest of which arrived just over the weekend.
