LOS ANGELES, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- NASA and U.S. aerospace company Northrop Grumman are targeting the launch of the next cargo mission to the International Space Station in mid-September, NASA said Thursday.

The mission, Northrop Grumman's 23rd commercial resupply services flight to the orbiting laboratory, is set to launch aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

According to NASA, the investigations aboard the Cygnus spacecraft aim to refine semiconductor crystals for next-generation technologies, reduce harmful microbes, improve medication production, and manage fuel pressure. ■