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Investing.com-- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said on Tuesday that it had indefinitely delayed a supply delivery to the International Space Station due to engine issues in the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) Cygnus XL spacecraft.
NASA said in a statement that the Cygnus will not arrive at the ISS on Wednesday, September 17, as initially planned, and that the agency will reveal a new arrival schedule in time.
NASA said the Cygnus’ main engine had stopped working earlier than planned on Tuesday morning, during two burns aimed at lifting the orbit of the craft. The flight was NASA’s first flight using the Cygnus XL spacecraft.
Northrop’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on Sunday for a routine mission to deliver about 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg) of scientific equipment and other supplies to the ISS.
NASA said an astronaut is set to capture the Cygnus using the ISS’ robotic arm. After capture, the spacecraft will remain attached to the space station until March 2026.
The Cygnus is an expendable unscrewed cargo spacecraft originally built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, which is now a unit of Northrop.