Padside
Menu

SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool)

Launched

September 14, 2025 · 22:11 UTC

Launch SuccessfulWeather 90% go
NG-23

Image: SpaceX

Summary

Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool) launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on September 14, 2025 at 22:11 UTC. It was SpaceX's 569th launch, 120th this year and humanity's 7,063rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 477th Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 116th this year. Booster B1094 flew for the 4th time and landed at Landing Zone 2. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 249 × 252 km orbit inclined 51.6°. The spacecraft was Cygnus CRS NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool). One object from this launch is catalogued.

Watch
Vehicle
Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceXCommercial Resupply Services, International Space Station
Booster
  • B1094 · flight 4 · Return to Launch Site at Landing Zone 2 · landed17/17 landed here · 44 days after its previous flight, Crew-11 · 15 km downrange
Mission
Resupply · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for NASA, NGSS
Milestone
477th Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 116th this yearSpaceX's 569th launch120th this yearhumanity's 7,063rd orbital launch attempt214th orbital launch attempt this year

Spacecraft

Cygnus CRS NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool)

This is the twenty-second flight to the ISS by the Cygnus spacecraft under the CRS program and their eleventh under the CRS-2 program. This is also the 18th use of the enhanced size Cygnus.

  • Destination: International Space Station
  • Mission length: 180 days
  • Docked September 18, 2025 at Unity nadir

The Cygnus spacecraft will burn up upon entering Earth's atmosphere.

Webcast

Replay
Watch on YouTube

Flight preview

Simulate in Flight Club

Orbit: as tracked

51.6°Inclination
249 × 252 kmPerigee × apogeefrom mean elements
89.4 minPeriodfrom mean elements
222.9°Ascending node
396 d agoElement epoch2025-09-14 22:20 UTC · stale

S.S. William C. McCool · NORAD 65616 · 2025-208 · Space-Track

Show the numbers for orbit elements
Object
TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
Object ID
2025-208A
Epoch
2025-09-14 22:20:20 UTC
Mean motion
16.11275795 rev/day
Eccentricity
0.00021
Inclination
51.65°
Ascending node
222.8923°
Arg. of perigee
153.51°
Mean anomaly
255.09°
Element set
999
Rev at epoch
0
B*
0

Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile. Booster return drawn from padside's representative arc.

Flight timeline

23 steps, T−38 min to T+14 min 33 s
  1. T−38MGO for Prop Load
  2. T−35MProp Load
  3. T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
  4. T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
  5. T−7MEngine Chill
  6. T−1MTank Press
  7. T−1MStartup
  8. T−45SGO for Launch
  9. T−3SIgnition
  10. T−0Liftoff
  11. T+1M12SMax-Q
  12. T+2M12SMECO
  13. T+2M16SStage 2 Separation
  14. T+2M24SSES-1
  15. T+2M29SBooster Boostback Burn Startup
  16. T+2M52SFairing Separation
  17. T+3M21SBooster Boostback Burn Shutdown
  18. T+6M10SEntry Burn Startup
  19. T+6M30SEntry Burn Shutdown
  20. T+7M21SStage 1 Landing Burn
  21. T+7M54SStage 1 Landing
  22. T+8M31SSECO-1
  23. T+14M33SPayload Separation

Catalogued objects

1 catalogued: 1 payload

  • S.S. William C. McCool · NORAD 65616

Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org

About this launch

This is the 23rd flight of the Northrop Grumman's uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its 22nd flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

Official page: SpaceX

Pad

Map of Space Launch Complex 40

Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

334th launch from Space Launch Complex 40, 54th this year · 1,052nd from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Local pad time at liftoff: Sep 14, 6:11 PM EDT, in daylight

403 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

2 days 20 hours after the previous launch from this pad

All launches from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAOpen in maps

Updates

Spacecraft in operation with solar arrays deployed.

Cosmic_Penguin · Sep 15, 2025 · source

Show 9 earlier updates

  • Spacecraft separation.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/14/2025 · source

  • Liftoff.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/14/2025 · source

  • Official Webcast by NASA has started

    LL2 · 9/14/2025 · source

  • Updated launch weather, 85% GO.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/14/2025 · source

  • Tweaked T-0.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/13/2025 · source

  • Weather is 75% favorable for launch.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/13/2025 · source

  • Updated launch weather, 70% GO.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/12/2025 · source

  • Tweaked T-0.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/7/2025 · source

  • Moved up to September 14.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 9/5/2025 · source

Questions

When did Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool) launch?

Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool) launched on September 14, 2025 at 22:11 UTC.

Where can I watch Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool)?

Coverage: NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23 Launch; NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23 Launch; NG-23 Mission. Watch the replay

What rocket launched Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool)?

Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet

Where did Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool) launch from?

Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Liftoff was Sep 14, 6:11 PM EDT local time at the pad.

Did the booster land?

Booster B1094 flew for the 4th time and landed at Landing Zone 2.

What orbit did Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool) reach?

It reached a 249 × 252 km orbit inclined 51.6°.

Which program is Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool) part of?

Commercial Resupply Services and International Space Station. About Commercial Resupply Services