NASA Opens Media Accreditation for Northrop Grumman CRS-25 Space Station Resupply Launch

NASA has opened media accreditation for its next cargo mission to the International Space Station, a flight that will deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the orbital outpost. A Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft is scheduled to launch in November aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the agency. The mission, designated NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 25, or CRS-25, is targeted for liftoff no earlier than 10:49 a.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 29, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. After launch, astronauts aboard the station will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture Cygnus and install the spacecraft at the Earth-facing port of the Unity module for cargo unloading. The spacecraft is expected to remain at the laboratory until May 2027. The flight marks the 25th spacecraft Northrop Grumman has built to deliver supplies to the station under its contract with NASA. Along with food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Cygnus will carry several new experiments. These include hardware to manufacture tiny, DNA-inspired particles in space that could improve drug delivery for cancer and osteoarthritis, as well as a study that could guide cancer treatments by predicting whether a patient's cancer is likely to spread to other parts of the body. The spacecraft will also transport human muscle cells and medications to test therapeutics for muscle loss associated with spaceflight and aging on Earth, along with a compact radiation sensor designed to improve crew safety on future missions. Each resupply mission to the station delivers investigations in biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies maintains a national capability to deliver scientific research to the station and increases NASA's ability to conduct new investigations aboard the orbiting laboratory. People have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station for 26 years, and NASA describes the outpost as an important testbed for understanding the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and expanding commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies concentrate on human space transportation services and destinations, the agency is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon under the Artemis and Moon Base programs, building toward the first astronaut missions to Mars. Credentialing for prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media, with applications due by 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, Nov. 12. All accreditation requests must be submitted online, and credentialed media will receive a confirmation email following approval. Questions about accreditation or requests for special logistical support can be sent to ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov, and other inquiries may be directed to NASA's Kennedy Space Center newsroom at 321-867-2468.