Northrop Grumman cargo ship reaches the International Space Station a day late after engine issue

Key Points

• Northrop Grumman's cargo ship, the S.S. Willie McCool, arrived at the International Space Station a day late due to a premature engine shutdown.
• The problem was traced to an overly conservative software setting following its main engine shutting down too soon during ascent.
• This is the first flight of the extra-large version of the Cygnus capsule, which carries essential supplies including food and scientific equipment.
• NASA contracts Northrop Grumman alongside SpaceX, with additional support from Russia and Japan for resupply missions to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A supply ship arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday after a day’s delay due to a premature engine shutdown.

Astronauts used the space station’s robot arm to pluck Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule from orbit as they soared over Africa.

The 11,000-pound (5,000-kilogram) shipment should have reached the space station Wednesday, three days after blasting off from Florida. But when the capsule tried to climb higher, its main engine shut down too soon. Engineers traced the problem to an overly conservative software setting.

This is the first flight of the extra-large version of the Cygnus, which is packed with food, science experiments and equipment for the space station's toilet and other systems. NASA holds contracts with Northrop Grumman as well as SpaceX to keep the orbiting lab well stocked. Russia also sends supplies, and Japan is about to resume deliveries as well.

Northrop Grumman named its latest capsule the S.S. Willie McCool after the pilot of the doomed 2003 flight of space shuttle Columbia.

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