Northrop Grumman's 'Cygnus XL' cargo spacecraft suffers thruster issue on way to the International Space Station

Northrop Grumman’s 21st Cygnus cargo craft, with its prominent cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays, is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm shortly after its capture on Aug. 6, 2024.

The debut mission of Northrop Grumman's new jumbo cargo spacecraft didn't go off without a hitch.

The company's first "Cygnus XL" freighter suffered a thruster issue in orbit early Tuesday morning (Sept. 16), two days after launching toward the International Space Station (ISS) atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.