Tomorrow should be the first launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 of the Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft. It delivers about 3000 kilograms of payload.
Cygnus is an expendable American cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation but manufactured and launched by Northrop Grumman Space Systems as part of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. It is usually launched by Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket, although three flights were on ULA’s Atlas V and three are planned for SpaceX’s Falcon 9. It transports supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the American Space Shuttle. Since August 2000, ISS resupply missions have been regularly flown by the Russian Progress spacecraft, as well as by the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, and the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle.
Targeting Tuesday, January 30 for NG-20, Falcon 9’s first launch of a Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the @space_station → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK pic.twitter.com/mZEU2orMMU
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 27, 2024
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Note that the Falcon 9 flight’s are a bit irregular for Northrop Grumman. NG flew Cyngus originally on Atlas V temporarily until they could fly on their own rocket Antares, but then when they could no longer fly Antares and Atlas V was no longer available from ULA, they were left with riding on Falcon 9 to fulfill their NASA obligations for commercial cargo delivery to ISS.
This too is temporary in theory, as NG is creating a new rocket, using a booster from another supplier. Whether they can actually do that cheaper than flying on Falcon 9 is up for debate. They may also fly on Vulcan, and father out maybe New Glenn or Starship.
Cygnus is a pet favorite of NASA at the moment, as a lot of various tasks seem to fit Cygnus well or require easy modifications that can’t be done easily to other commercial cargo participants due to their design. About the only thing it doesn’t do is return cargo.