Cygnus NG-25

COTS demo flights

NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program funded the development of the Antares and Falcon 9 launch vehicles and the Cygnus and Dragon cargo spacecraft through Space Act Agreements. The first COTS demonstration flight, COTS Demo Flight 1, launched on December 8, 2010, proving a Dragon capsule's ability to orbit, respond to ground commands, and communicate with NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. SpaceX later combined the objectives of COTS Demo Flight 2 and Flight 3 into a single mission, which launched on May 22, 2012, delivered cargo to the ISS, and was recovered after reentry on May 31. Orbital Sciences launched its Antares rocket for the first time on April 21, 2013, with a test payload, and completed the Cygnus Orb-D1 demonstration flight on September 29, 2013.

CRS-1 flights

The first operational CRS-1 flights began in 2012. SpaceX's CRS SpX-1 launched on October 8, 2012, followed by CRS SpX-2 on March 1, 2013, and subsequent missions. CRS SpX-7 on June 28, 2015, ended in a launch failure 139 seconds after lift-off, destroying the IDA-1. An investigation traced the accident to a strut failure inside the second stage's liquid-oxygen tank, caused by SpaceX's use of industrial-grade material instead of aerospace-grade stainless steel, with inadequate screening and testing.

CRS SpX-8 through CRS SpX-20 continued through March 7, 2020. Orbital Sciences' CRS Orb-1 launched on January 9, 2014, followed by CRS Orb-2 on July 13, 2014. CRS Orb-3 on October 28, 2014, suffered a launch failure, losing food, care packages, parts, experiments, and the Arkyd-3 Flight Test satellite. After the failure, the Antares rocket was upgraded to the 230 series with RD-181 engines, and two missions flew on Atlas V. Orbital ATK received an extension for four extra missions, covering ISS resupply until CRS-2 begins.

CRS-2 selection process

NASA began formalizing CRS-2 in early 2014, holding an Industry Day in Houston where seven high-level requirements were disclosed. CRS-1 contractors Orbital Sciences and SpaceX submitted proposals, joined by Sierra Nevada, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. Sierra Nevada proposed a cargo version of its Dream Chaser crew vehicle with an expendable cargo module.

Boeing proposed a cargo version of its CST-100. Lockheed Martin proposed a new spacecraft called Jupiter, derived from MAVEN and Juno designs, with a robotic arm and an Exoliner module based on the Automated Transfer Vehicle. After the RFP in September 2014, NASA removed Boeing and Lockheed Martin from the competitive range.

CRS-2 flights

CRS-2 flights began with CRS NG-12 on November 2, 2019, and continued through CRS NG-19 on August 2, 2023. CRS NG-20 launched on January 30, 2024, on Falcon 9, followed by CRS NG-21 on August 4, 2024. CRS NG-22 was indefinitely delayed after the cargo module was damaged during shipment. CRS NG-23 launched on September 14, 2025, as the first Cygnus XL.

CRS NG-24 launched on April 8, 2026. CRS NG-25 is planned for 2026 on Falcon 9. Northrop Grumman plans future missions using the new Antares 300 series rockets with booster stage and engines developed by Firefly Aerospace.

Did You Know?

• PlanetSpace, which was not selected for CRS-1 contracts, submitted a protest to the Government Accountability Office, which was denied on April 22, 2009.
• The first phase of CRS contracts awarded $1.6 billion to SpaceX for twelve Dragon 1 flights and $1.9 billion to Orbital Sciences for eight Cygnus flights.