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The launch happened on April 11, 2026, at 7:41 a.m. EDT. A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, carrying approximately 11,000 pounds (about 5,000 kilograms, or five metric tons) of research, equipment and crew supplies toward the International Space Station. NASA calls the flight CRS-24; Northrop Grumman and SpaceX call it NG-24.
SpaceX provided the rocket and recovered its first stage. Northrop Grumman built and operated the Cygnus spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services program.
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What launched on April 11?
NASA and SpaceX independently documented the launch. The Falcon 9 departed SLC-40 at 7:41 a.m. EDT with Northrop Grumman’s enlarged Cygnus XL cargo freighter. The spacecraft was headed for the ISS, but launch and delivery were separate events: Cygnus reached the station two days later, on April 13.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| NASA mission designation | CRS-24 |
| Northrop Grumman/SpaceX designation | NG-24 |
| Rocket | SpaceX Falcon 9 |
| Spacecraft | Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL, named S.S. Steven R. Nagel |
| Launch site | Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida |
| Payload | Approximately 11,000 pounds (about 5,000 kilograms) |
| ISS capture | April 13, 2026, by Canadarm2 |
See NASA’s launch and cargo release and SpaceX’s NG-24 mission timeline.
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What “Cygnus XL” means
Cygnus XL is the higher-capacity version of Northrop Grumman’s solar-powered Cygnus freighter. Earlier standard Cygnus descriptions commonly cited capacity around 8,500 pounds; this mission’s NASA-reported cargo load was approximately 11,000 pounds. That is a mission-specific rounded figure, not a claim that every Cygnus XL flight carries exactly five metric tons.
CRS-24 was only the second flight of the XL configuration, not the first Cygnus mission. The spacecraft carried the name S.S. Steven R. Nagel in honor of the former NASA astronaut who flew four Space Shuttle missions and spent more than 723 hours in space. NASA’s mission overview provides the configuration and investigation context.
Who was responsible for the mission?
- NASA: Customer and administrator of the Commercial Resupply Services mission, including the ISS cargo requirements.
- Northrop Grumman: Builder and operator of the Cygnus XL spacecraft.
- SpaceX: Provider of the Falcon 9 launch service and recovery operator for the first stage.
- ISS crew: Operators of the Canadarm2 robotic arm used to capture and install Cygnus.
Calling it “SpaceX’s Cygnus” is therefore misleading: SpaceX launched the spacecraft, but Northrop Grumman owns and operates the Cygnus vehicle.
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What was inside Cygnus XL?
The approximately 11,000-pound manifest combined scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, station equipment and crew supplies. NASA groups the research across biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences and technology development.
Biology and biotechnology
Among the examples NASA highlighted were model organisms used to study the gut microbiome. Results from such work can help researchers understand how spaceflight changes host–microbe relationships.
Earth and space science
The cargo included a receiver intended to improve space-weather models. Better models could help forecast conditions that affect systems such as GPS and radar.
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Operations and technology
The rest of the manifest supported station operations, crew needs and technology investigations. These examples are not a complete inventory; NASA’s full mission overview is the appropriate source for the broader science list.
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- Liftoff: Falcon 9 launched from SLC-40 at 7:41 a.m. EDT on April 11.
- Booster recovery: The first stage separated and landed at Landing Zone 40 at T+7 minutes 54 seconds. SpaceX identified it as the booster’s seventh flight, following Ax-4, Crew-11, NG-23 and three Starlink missions.
- Spacecraft deployment: Cygnus XL separated from the Falcon 9 upper stage at approximately T+14 minutes 44 seconds.
- Power-up: The spacecraft deployed its two UltraFlex solar arrays, providing power for the rendezvous and station operations.
- Rendezvous: Cygnus spent roughly two days approaching the ISS.
- Capture and installation: On April 13, NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway used Canadarm2 to capture the spacecraft at about 12:50 p.m. EDT. Ground controllers then installed it on the Earth-facing port of the Unity module.
NASA’s reports cover the solar-array deployment, robotic capture and Unity installation.
Why Canadarm2 captures Cygnus
Cygnus approaches the station under its own guidance but is not attached through a conventional autonomous docking maneuver. Once it reaches the capture zone, the station crew operates Canadarm2 to seize the spacecraft. Controllers then berth it to Unity. The method gives the station team and flight controllers direct control of the final approach and attachment.
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Why this mission matters
More cargo per flight
The XL configuration lets one resupply mission carry substantially more than the commonly cited standard-Cygnus load. That additional volume supports a mixture of experiments, hardware and routine consumables without requiring a separate launch for each category.
A reusable launch system
The recovered Falcon 9 first stage had already flown six missions and completed its seventh flight on NG-24. Reuse reduces the need to discard a new booster after every launch, although no specific cost saving is established by this mission record.
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CRS-24 shows the division of labor in NASA’s commercial cargo model: NASA sets the requirements and buys transportation, Northrop Grumman operates the freighter, and SpaceX supplies the launch vehicle. The arrangement gives the ISS access to privately developed spacecraft while preserving NASA oversight of station safety and cargo.
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Northrop Grumman says its Cygnus program has delivered more than 158,000 pounds of supplies, experiments and equipment to the ISS since 2013. That is the company’s cumulative figure, not an independently audited total.
What happens after unloading?
The crew unloads Cygnus while it remains berthed to Unity. NASA announced a planned departure in October 2026. After leaving the station, the expendable freighter will be used to dispose of several thousand pounds of station waste during a controlled destructive reentry. It is not designed to return cargo to Earth.
As of August 18, 2026, October remains the announced schedule; a later NASA update could change the date. NASA’s mission release describes the planned end-of-mission disposal.
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How to interpret “historic” in the headline
“Historic” and “game-changing” are promotional descriptions, not official NASA classifications. The defensible milestones are that CRS-24 was the second Cygnus XL flight, carried approximately 11,000 pounds, used a seventh-flight Falcon 9 booster and continued ISS research and logistics. Those facts explain the mission’s practical importance without claiming that NASA designated it a historic first.
Official coverage and updates
For launch video and flight timing, use SpaceX’s NG-24 page. NASA posted separate updates for launch, approach, capture and installation. Capture coverage was announced, but readers should not assume that every installation step received a live broadcast; NASA’s advisory distinguished the capture event from subsequent installation.
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