Tag: Dragon spacecraft

Dragon Undocks From Station, Crew Headed Back to Earth

SpaceX's Dragon Endurance spacecraft carrying the Crew-7 quartet approaches the International Space Station for docking on August 27, 2023, as it soared 261 miles above the Atlantic ocean.
SpaceX’s Dragon Endurance spacecraft carrying the Crew-7 quartet approaches the International Space Station for docking on August 27, 2023, as it soared 261 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov inside undocked from the forward-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 11:20 a.m. EDT to complete a nearly six-month science mission.

NASA coverage of Crew-7’s return will continue with audio only, and full coverage will resume at the start of the splashdown broadcast. Real-time audio between Crew-7 and flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Audio stream will remain available and includes conversations with astronauts aboard the space station and a live video feed from the orbiting laboratory.

NASA TV coverage will resume at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday until Dragon splashes down at approximately 5:50 a.m. on Tuesday, March 12, off the coast of Florida and Crew-7 members are recovered.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission launched Aug. 26, 2023, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

More details about the mission and NASA’s commercial crew program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew and commercial crew on Facebook.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Dragon Undocks, Scientific Cargo Headed Back to Earth

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is seen departing the station after undocking from the Harmony module at 4:05 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 21. Credit: NASA TV
A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is seen departing the station after undocking from the Harmony module at 4:05 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 21. Credit: NASA TV

Following commands from ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, Dragon undocked at 5:05 p.m. EST from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module. At the time of undocking the station was flying at an altitude about 260 miles southwest of Chile.

After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida on Friday, Dec. 22. NASA will not broadcast the splashdown, but updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog.

Dragon arrived at the space station Nov. 11 as SpaceX’s 29th commercial resupply services mission for NASA, delivering about 6,500 pounds of research investigations, crew supplies, and station hardware. It was launched Nov. 9 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Live Coverage Underway of SpaceX Dragon Cargo Spacecraft Departure

Thrusters on the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fire automatically while adjusting the vehicle's slow, methodical approach toward the International Space Station for a docking to the Harmony module's forward port.
Thrusters on the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fire automatically while adjusting the vehicle’s slow, methodical approach toward the International Space Station for a docking to the Harmony module’s forward port.

Live coverage of the departure of SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app.

Following commands from ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, Dragon will undock at 5:05 p.m. EST from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module and fire its thrusters to move a safe distance away from the station.

After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida on Friday, Dec. 22. NASA will not broadcast the splashdown, but updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog.

Watch Dragon undock live on the NASA+ streaming service via the web or the NASA app. Docking coverage also will air live on NASA Television, YouTube, and on the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Dragon Safely on its Way to Space Station for NASA’s SpaceX Mission

First stage separation during NASA's SpaceX 29th commercial resupply services mission.
The first stage separates from the vehicle during NASA’s SpaceX 29th commercial resupply services mission launch on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Photo credit: NASA

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft – carrying about 6,500 pounds of critical science, hardware, and crew supplies – is on its way to the International Space Station following a successful launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at 8:28 p.m. EST Thursday, Nov. 9, on SpaceX’s 29th resupply services mission for NASA to the orbiting laboratory.

The mission marks the ninth flight on the Commercial Resupply Services-2 SpaceX contract and the second flight of this Dragon, which previously flew on NASA’s SpaceX 26th resupply services mission.

Dragon now is safely in orbit, and its solar arrays have deployed. A series of thruster firings will help Dragon reach the space station at approximately 5:20 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. Upon its arrival, it will dock autonomously to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module, with NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara monitoring operations.

Live coverage of Dragon’s arrival will air on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website beginning at 3:45 a.m. EST.

Dragon will remain at the space station for about one month until it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida. To stay updated on all station activities, follow @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts. Or follow along the station blog at: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/.

Space X Dragon Separates from Second Stage

SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon spacecraft has separated from the company’s Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage as the spacecraft continues its journey to the International Space Station for NASA, delivering critical supplies, equipment, and material to support multiple science and research experiments that will take place aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Arrival to the station is scheduled for approximately 5:20 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.

SpaceX Falcon 9 First Stage Lands!

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage successfully landed on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Today’s launch marked the ninth flight on the Commercial Resupply Services-2 SpaceX contract and the second flight of this Dragon spacecraft, which previously flew on NASA’s SpaceX 26th resupply services mission.

Coming up next, Dragon will separate from the rocket’s second stage to continue its journey to the space station.

Main Engine Cutoff; First Stage Separates

The nine Merlin engines in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage have finished their burn, and the first stage has separated from the vehicle.

As the second stage continues carrying the company’s Dragon on its journey, the first stage will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. That landing is coming up in just over six minutes.

Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX Mission Lights Up the Florida Evening Sky!

Launch of NASA's SpaceX 29th commercial resupply services mission from Kennedy Space Center
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft, lifts off the pad at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Thursday, Nov. 9. Photo credit: NASA

The rocket has powered off of the pad! At 8:28 p.m. EST, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida, starting the Dragon spacecraft’s approximately 33-hour trip to the International Space Station for NASA.

Dragon will deliver new science investigations, supplies, and equipment for the Expedition 70 crew currently aboard the orbiting laboratory. Coming up in the next minute, the Falcon 9 will pass through Max Q – the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket.

At about two minutes and 17 seconds after liftoff, the main engine in the rocket’s first stage will shut off, followed by the first and second stages separating.

Counting Down: 10 Minutes Until Liftoff

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are ready for launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA

Launch preparations are well underway, and the countdown remains on track for SpaceX’s 29th cargo resupply launch to the International Space Station for NASA. In approximately 10 minutes, at 8:28 p.m. EST, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s nine Merlin engines will roar to life, sending the company’s Dragon spacecraft on its way to the orbiting laboratory.

The spacecraft will deliver critical supplies and equipment that will support dozens of the approximately 200 science and research investigations that will occur during Expedition 70.

Coming up in the next few minutes, the Falcon 9 will begin its prelaunch engine chill, which involves flowing a small amount of the super-cold liquid oxygen (LOX) into the Merlin engines’ turbo pumps to avoid thermally shocking the system when the full flow of LOX runs through them.

Following that, Dragon will transition to internal power and the command flight computer will begin its final prelaunch checks, culminating with the SpaceX launch director verifying we are “go” for launch.

As a reminder, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website  will continue to provide live coverage of today’s launch.

NASA Sending Important Science to the Space Station

NASA's SpaceX 29th commercial resupply services launch from Kennedy Space Center in Floridsa
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is packed with more than 6,500 pounds of science, equipment, and supplies bound for the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA

Tonight’s launch of NASA’s SpaceX 29th Commercial Resupply Services mission is set for 8:28 EST, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Our live broadcast is underway. You can watch on NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and on the agency’s website, or get live updates here on the blog.

The mission will carry scientific research, technology demonstrations, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station to support its Expedition 70 crew, including NASA’s ILLUMA-T (Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal) and AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment).

  • Once installed on the station’s exterior, ILLUMA-T aims to test high data rate laser communications from the space station to Earth. The system uses invisible infrared light to send and receive information at higher data rates than traditional radio frequency systems. Working together, ILLUMA-T and the agency’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, currently in orbit around Earth, will complete NASA’s first two-way laser communications relay system.
  • Also to be installed on the station’s exterior, AWE will use an infrared imaging instrument to measure the characteristics, distribution, and movement of atmospheric gravity waves, which roll through the Earth’s atmosphere when air is disturbed. Researchers also are looking at how these waves contribute to space weather, which affects space-based and ground-based communications, navigation, and tracking systems. Increased insight into atmospheric gravity waves could improve understanding of Earth’s atmosphere, weather, and climate and development of ways to mitigate the effects of space weather.

The spacecraft is expected to spend about one month attached to the orbiting laboratory before it returns to Earth with research and about 3,800 pounds of return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.