Running a day late because of software issues, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo ship caught up with the International Space Station early Thursday and then stood by while the lab's robot arm latched on to a grapple fixture to wrap up a successful, if extended, rendezvous.

The capture came after Northrop Grumman engineers adjusted the sensitivity of the main engine fault detection software that prematurely triggered shutdowns during two rendezvous thruster firings Tuesday.

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo ship is seen on final approach to the International Space Station early Thursday. NASA

As it turned out, the main engine was healthy all along and once the software was adjusted, the spacecraft was able to press ahead with the rendezvous, pulling up to a point just below the s

See Full Page