NASA has announced that the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft will depart from the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, March 12, following a successful resupply mission. The spacecraft, operated by Northrop Grumman, delivered over 11,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, and hardware to the ISS for both NASA and its international partners. The Cygnus XL, part of Northrop Grumman’s 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission, has been attached to the Unity module of the ISS since its capture by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm on September 18, 2025. The spacecraft, which orbited 257 miles above Tanzania during its capture, is scheduled for release at 7 a.m. EDT. ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot will oversee the undocking process. NASA will provide live coverage of the undocking and departure starting at 6:45 a.m. EDT, available on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. The Cygnus XL is also slated to deorbit on Saturday, March 14, disposing of several thousand pounds of trash by burning up harmlessly as it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere. The mission marked the inaugural flight of the larger, more cargo-capable version of the solar-powered Cygnus spacecraft, launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in September 2025. For more information on this mission, viewers can visit NASA’s official website. Post navigation Join NASA Force’s Elite Ranks Resupply Mission Set for April Launch