LAUNCH OF NG-23 CYGNUS CARGO SHIP TO ISS, Sept 14, 2025, CCSFS, 6:11 pm ET

Northrop Grumman’s 22rd cargo mission to the International Space Station, NG-23, is scheduled for launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL on September 14, 2025 at 6:11 pm ET. (This is the 22nd mission rather than the 23rd because the NG-22 capsule was damaged during shipping to the launch site so they skipped that one.)

NASA coverage of the launch begins at 5:50 pm ET NASA+ and Amazon Prime. If launch is on time, NG-23 will arrive at the ISS on September 17 at 6:35 am ET (see our separate Calendary entry).

This is the first launch of the XL version of Cygnus with 1,250 kilograms (33 percent) more payload capacity, bringing the new total to 5,000 kg.

Northrop Grumman names the Cygnus capsules after individuals who made substantinal contributions to human spaceflight. NG-23 is named for William “Willie” McCool who perished in the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy.

Northrop Grumman usually launches the Cygnus spacecraft from its own launch facilities at Wallops Island, VA, on its Antares rocket, but is waiting for a new U.S. version of Antares to be developed (by Firefly and NG) to replace the earlier version that used Russian and Ukrainian hardware.  Until then it is purchasing launches on SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Launches from Wallops on the new rocket are expected to resume in early 2026.