WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - NASA has sent more science, technology demonstrations, and crew supplies to the International Space Station aboard Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL spacecraft.
The Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23 mission, or Northrop Grumman CRS-23, was launched successfully at 6:11 p.m. ET Sunday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, powered by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The spacecraft, carrying more than 11,000 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory, deployed its two solar arrays, NASA said in an update.
This mission is the first flight of the larger, more cargo-capable version of the solar-powered spacecraft.
Cygnus XL is scheduled to be captured at 6:35 a.m. ET on Wednesday by the Canadarm2 robotic arm, which NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will operate with assistance from NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. Following capture, the spacecraft will be installed to the Unity module's Earth-facing port for cargo unloading.
The resupply mission is carrying dozens of research experiments that will be conducted during Expedition 73, including materials to produce semiconductor crystals in space and equipment to develop improvements for cryogenic fuel tanks. The spacecraft also will deliver a specialized UV light system to prevent the growth of microbe communities that form in water systems and supplies to produce pharmaceutical crystals that could treat cancer and other diseases.
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