When is NASA’s CRS-25 Cygnus XL launch, and what is it carrying to the space station?

NASA and Northrop Grumman are targeting no earlier than 10:49 a.m. EST on Sunday, November 29, 2026, for the CRS-25 cargo launch from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9. The Cygnus XL spacecraft — Northrop Grumman’s 25th station resupply ship — will carry supplies and science, including muscle-cell and drug-delivery research hardware, and stay at the station until May 2027. Here is how to watch, and why Cygnus flies on a Falcon 9.

A cargo ship with no crew is about to make a long house call to the space station. Short answer: NASA and Northrop Grumman are targeting no earlier than 10:49 a.m. EST on Sunday, November 29, 2026, for the launch of the CRS-25 resupply mission.

The Cygnus XL spacecraft will lift off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying supplies and science to the station, where it is planned to stay until May 2027.Why it matters: This is Northrop Grumman’s 25th cargo flight for NASA, and these unglamorous runs are what keep the station alive — food, spare parts, and the experiments that are the station’s whole reason for existing. This load includes hardware for muscle-cell and drug-delivery research that uses weightlessness to test things that behave differently on Earth.What to know, and how to watch:1. Treat the time as “no earlier than”: 10:49 a.m.

EST on November 29 is the current target, and weather or technical checks can move it. Confirm the morning of the launch.2. Watch on NASA’s own coverage: NASA streams its launches live on its website and app, with commentary explaining each stage — the best seat is free.3.

Know why a Northrop ship rides a SpaceX rocket: the spacecraft and its rocket are separate pieces. Cygnus was built to be flexible about its ride, and while Northrop Grumman’s own Antares rocket is in transition to its next version, the Falcon 9 — flying often from the same coast — provides the lift.4. Follow the arrival, not just the launch: Cygnus does not dock itself; the station’s robotic arm captures it, usually a day or two after liftoff, and that slow, careful grapple is fascinating to watch.5.

Note the long stay: this Cygnus is planned to remain attached until May 2027, doubling as extra storage and, at the end, a way to carry trash away to burn up safely in the atmosphere.Pro tip: Set your reminder for the launch window, not just the minute — cargo launches are worth watching live, but only the official NASA feed will tell you quickly if the clock stops.Ad’s take: Crewed launches get the headlines, but flights like this are the station’s supply line. Twenty-five trips in, the routine itself is the achievement.