The US space agency NASA was forced to postpone the planned docking of the latest private spacecraft, Cygnus XL, with the International Space Station. The reason was a sudden malfunction in the main engine of the unmanned cargo craft, built by Northrop Grumman.
The incident occurred during maneuvers to correct the orbit before docking with the ISS. According to NASA, the engine unexpectedly shut down ahead of schedule during two separate launches. The rest of the spacecraft’s systems are functioning normally, but specialists need time to analyze the situation and develop an alternative plan of action.
Safe deferral
Cygnus XL, which is making its maiden voyage, launched on Sunday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It is carrying more than 5 tons of critical cargo to support the orbital station’s operations and scientific experiments conducted by its crew.
The spacecraft was originally expected to dock with the ISS on Wednesday as part of the CRS-23 mission. However, NASA and Northrop Grumman engineers are now working to find a safe way to complete the mission. The agency promises to provide a new arrival date after completing all necessary assessments.
The future of the mission
If the engine anomaly is successfully corrected, the docking operation will proceed according to the standard scenario. NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, who is currently working on the ISS, will use the Canadarm2 robotic manipulator to “catch” Cygnus and attach it to the Unity module. The spacecraft will remain docked until March 2026, serving as a kind of “trash can”, after which it will be sent to burn up in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
This Cygnus XL is an upgraded version of the previous Cygnus model, which has been in use since 2015. It is designed to deliver cargo and is crucial for maintaining the continuous operation of the scientific laboratory in orbit. Despite the current technical difficulties, scientists hope that the mission will be completed.
Earlier, we reported on how the Cygnus space truck encountered malfunctions after launch.
Provided by: NASA
