Huge Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo ship arrives at space station

The Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft S.S. Steven R. Nagel has successfully arrived at the International Space Station after being captured by the station’s robotic arm on April 13.

The spacecraft, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket, delivered about 11,000 pounds of supplies and scientific equipment for the Expedition 74 crew.

Its cargo includes experiments in quantum science, stem cell research, gut microbiome studies, and space weather monitoring.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station assisted with the capture before the vehicle was berthed to the station’s Unity module for unloading, Space.com has reported.

The spacecraft is expected to remain docked until October as part of Northrop Grumman’s CRS-24 resupply mission.