Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo craft departs the space station
After a six-month stay, the Cygnus XL resupply spacecraft (CRS-24 mission, launched April 11 on a SpaceX Falcon 9) was released from the International Space Station by the Canadarm2 robotic arm over the weekend.
Loaded with thousands of pounds of disposal cargo, the spacecraft deorbited the same day and burned up destructively in Earth's atmosphere, ending the mission.
Cygnus XL's extended stay demonstrated the larger variant's ability to support longer-duration station operations — a useful data point as NASA and its partners plan the station's final years.
Originally reported by NASA. Article compiled by the Deccan Age desk.
