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Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft left the International Space Station on October 9, 2026, after nearly six months docked there. Canadarm2 detached it from the Unity module and released it at 12:44 p.m. EDT. NASA said controllers planned to send the spacecraft into Earth’s atmosphere for disposal on October 12.
When and how Cygnus XL departed the ISS
At the time of release, the station was about 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA. Cygnus XL had been attached to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Unity module.
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The spacecraft did not undock by simply powering away from the port. Canadarm2 detached it from Unity, maneuvered it into position, then released it. NASA astronaut Luke Delaney monitored the operation aboard the station. NASA reported the release time as 12:44 p.m. EDT on October 9.
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What this cargo mission delivered
The departure concluded Northrop Grumman’s Commercial Resupply Services-24 (CRS-24) mission. NASA said Cygnus XL arrived nearly six months earlier carrying about 11,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware and other cargo for NASA and its international partners.
NASA’s October 6 advisory says the spacecraft launched on April 11, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA’s advisory announced coverage of the planned departure.
Space.com identifies this vehicle as the S.S. Steven R. Nagel, the second Cygnus XL and the 24th Cygnus to fly cargo to the station. Those name and flight-count details are from that publication; NASA’s post-release report refers to it as Cygnus XL.
What happens to Cygnus XL after departure
NASA’s October 9 report said flight controllers planned to command the spacecraft to deorbit on Monday, October 12, carrying several thousand pounds of disposal items and other unneeded cargo. It was a future plan at the time of the report, not confirmation that reentry had occurred. The spacecraft was expected to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA’s earlier October 6 advisory had listed Sunday, October 11, for deorbit. The newer October 9 report updated the announced schedule to October 12.
Space.com also reports that the S.S. Steven R. Nagel carried heat-shield prototypes intended for testing during reentry. NASA’s post-release report does not include that detail, so it should be understood as secondary-source reporting.
Watch the departure
NASA’s October 6 advisory directed viewers to NASA Live for coverage of the spacecraft’s departure. NASA’s advisory is the cited destination for coverage; it does not specify a particular physical viewing product.
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