Experimental Spacecraft Headed to Space Station Suddenly Shuts Down

Lost in space.

A whopping 11,000 pounds of supplies and scientific instruments that were headed to the International Space Station are in limbo after a high-profile malfunction.

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL spacecraft encountered a serious problem with its main engine during its maiden voyage, NASA announced on Tuesday.

The spacecraft, which is just over five feet longer than the aerospace giant's Cygnus spacecraft, launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday evening atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

It's the heaviest supply load to have ever launched to the ISS in a single mission, including fresh food, hardware, spare parts, and several scientific experiments.

At first, the mission, dubbed NG-23, went by without a hitch. But then, the craft's main engines shut down earlier than planned, rendering it unable to adjust its orbit and rendezvous with the station.

A "new arrival date and time" are "under review," according to the space agency.

Instead of autonomously docking with the ISS like SpaceX's Dragon, Cygnus spacecraft need to be plucked out of their orbit by the station's 58-foot Canadarm2 robotic arm.

The idea is to grab the Cygnus XL from 30 feet away and install it on the Unity module's Earth-facing port, where it will remain until March. At least, that's the plan. The agency has yet to announce a new schedule for the enormous cargo spacecraft.

The stakes are high. Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL is the company's biggest cargo spacecraft, and can carry an additional 2,500 pounds of cargo compared to its smaller Cygnus predecessor.

In comparison, SpaceX's Dragon 2 has a max cargo capacity to the ISS of just over 7,000 pounds.

As Ars Technica points out, the Cygnus XL is filling in for a separate Cygnus spacecraft that was damaged while being transported from the company's manufacturer in Italy. It's also not the Cygnus line's first stumble trying to reach the station; the craft's 18th flight, back in 2022, also broke down while trying to reach the ISS — but ultimately made it.

When or if the latest spacecraft can still reach the station remains unclear. If it can't, the 11,000 pounds of supplies will be sent to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, as Cygnus spacecraft aren't designed to return to Earth like SpaceX's Dragon.

More on Cygnus: Cargo Spacecraft Breaks Down En Route to Space Station