Uncrewed Cygnus Spacecraft to Return from International Space Station on Friday

The uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft will depart from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday. The spacecraft had previously delivered over 4 tons of supplies, scientific instruments for experiments, commercial products, hardware, and other materials to the space station.

NASA has arranged for a live online broadcast of the spacecraft’s departure. The journey back to Earth will begin when controllers send commands to the robotic arm, positioning it to detach the module from the ISS port, where it has been since August 2024.

The Cygnus spacecraft will carry more than seven months’ worth of waste generated by the ISS crew. Its mission has been delayed by several months. Three weeks ago, NASA reported that a shipping container used for Cygnus’ safety was destroyed last June while the module was being transported to Florida.