Northrop Grumman · Operational · us · Cargo Spacecraft

Cygnus XL

Enhanced pressurized ISS freighter with 33% more capacity than prior Cygnus; ISS reboost-capable.

Verified 2026-06-17 · First flight 2025-08-01

Subsystems

propulsion↗

Hypergolic service module provides orbital maneuvering; also used for ISS reboost capability.

avionics↗

Northrop Grumman proprietary avionics and power modules; fully autonomous rendezvous for Canadarm2 capture.

power↗

UltraFlex deployable solar arrays.

comms↗

Berths at ISS Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) via Canadarm2 capture; not direct-docking.

Cargo Upmass ↑ better: 5,000 kg; ~11,000 lb per NG-23/NG-24 manifests; Maximum pressurized + unpressurized cargo delivered to station orbit (upmass), in kg.
Pressurized Volume ↑ better: 36 m³; Increased from 18 m³ on standard Cygnus; Total internal pressurized volume of the spacecraft in cubic metres.