NASA has selected Northrop Grumman to continue its cargo delivery services to the International Space Station (ISS). This decision follows the planned installation of a spacecraft designed for the station’s deorbit.

A contracting notice issued on November 21 stated that NASA would grant a sole-source award to Northrop Grumman for two Cygnus missions. These missions are scheduled for 2028 and 2029 under the existing Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract. The financial details of the award were not disclosed.

NASA justified its decision to choose Northrop Grumman over SpaceX, another CRS-2 contractor, due to specific technical requirements. The Cygnus spacecraft uses a berthing approach to the ISS, while SpaceX’s Dragon docks directly. The arrival of the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) later this decade complicates docking, as it will occupy one of the docking ports for at least a year prior to the deorbit operation.

With the other docking port reserved for commercial crew vehicles, Cargo Dragon missions will face limitations. Cygnus, however, uses a robotic arm to attach to a berthing port. According to NASA, "NG is the only CRS-2 provider currently capable of attaching to the ISS via a berthing port, which means NG is the only responsible source that can provide resupply services after the USDV arrives and docks to the ISS."

Cygnus also offers capabilities like trash disposal and orbit reboosting. While Sierra Space was initially a third supplier in CRS-2 with its Dream Chaser vehicle, the company's contract was revised in September to cover only a single test flight that won't visit the ISS.

Beyond its NASA contract, Cygnus is also considered for a European Space Agency (ESA) award. ESA issued a call on October 3 for proposals for commercial cargo services delivering 4,900 to 5,000 kilograms of cargo to the ISS by 2028. This cargo will cover ESA’s share of Common System Operations Costs for the ISS, "Through this initiative, ESA intends to procure commercial cargo delivery services to ISS, providing a strategic offset that secures ESA’s astronaut flight opportunities and ISS utilization while also building European capabilities in low Earth orbit logistics,” ESA stated.

The requirements appear to favor Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, specifically the Cygnus XL, which can deliver 5,000 kilograms. While the announcement doesn't stipulate a European-built spacecraft, the Cygnus pressurized cargo module is manufactured by Thales Alenia Space in Italy. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said the contract would provide ESA “a barter element in our hands for astronaut flights that are being prepared or in the pipeline.”