LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. aerospace technology company Northrop Grumman's resupply spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, delivering critical scientific materials and cargo.
The company's upgraded Cygnus XL spacecraft launched Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the U.S. state of Florida.
It was originally scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Wednesday, but the arrival was delayed due to a technical issue with the main engine.
At 7:24 a.m. Eastern Time Thursday, astronauts aboard the space station captured the Cygnus XL using the station's robotic arm. By 10:10 a.m., the spacecraft had been successfully installed to the ISS, according to NASA.
The mission, known as NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23, carries about 11,000 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. ■