NASA to Cover Northrop Grumman Cargo Spacecraft Departure

NASA says Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft is scheduled to depart the International Space Station on Thursday, March 12, after delivering more than 11,000 pounds of supplies, science investigations, hardware, and other cargo for NASA and its international partners. Live coverage begins at 6:45 a.m. EDT, with release from the station expected at 7 a.m. after Canadarm2 moves the vehicle away from the Unity module's Earth-facing port.

The departure is the next operational checkpoint in the station's cargo cycle after Cygnus delivered more than 11,000 pounds of supplies and hardware.

If the departure goes as planned, Cygnus will spend a short period away from the station before NASA commands it to deorbit on Saturday, March 14, carrying several thousand pounds of trash into a destructive reentry. That will complete the mission's path from cargo delivery to departure and disposal.