June 2015 – Page 5

Learn the Details of CRS-7 Research

Plant growth in space and combustion in microgravity are two of the areas of research that will gain special attention thanks to the payloads and supplies to be launched to the International Space Station aboard CRS-7.

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is to lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday at 10:21 a.m. EDT loaded with more than 4,000 pounds of experiments and supplies. The payloads include hardware and other critical materials for more than 30 student experiments as well as 35 scientific investigations to be performed by astronauts during Expeditions 44 and 45.

Pouches containing seeds of lettuce and cabbage – pictured being prepared on Earth – will be taken to the station for the Veg-03 experiment which will see astronauts tend to the plants as they grow in orbit. The Dragon will also carry materials for investigating meteors as they fly into Earth’s atmosphere. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, will use a small rack inside the Kibo module of the station for the combustion research with materials brought up on the Dragon.

For more details about the mission and its payloads, take a look at the spacex_crs7_mission_overview.

CRS-7 Briefings and Coverage Schedule

NASA commercial partner SpaceX currently is targeting Sunday, June 28, for the launch of its seventh cargo delivery to the International Space Station under the agency’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. NASA Television coverage of the launch begins at 9 a.m. EDT.

The company’s Falcon 9 rocket will lift off at 10:21 a.m. carrying its Dragon cargo spacecraft to the station from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft will be filled with more than 4,000 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials for the science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 44 and 45.

In addition to launch coverage, NASA also will host a session discussing science on the station Friday at 1 p.m. EDT and a prelaunch briefing on Saturday at 2 p.m., both available on NASA TV and online.

You can find out all the details about CRS-7 briefings and events here.

CRS-7 Launch Date: June 28, 10:21 A.M. EDT

The seventh SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract now is targeted for launch at 10:21 a.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. If the launch does not occur on Sunday, the next launch opportunity would be at 9:58 a.m. on Monday, June 29.

The company’s Falcon 9 rocket will carry its Dragon cargo spacecraft filled with more than 5,500 pounds of supplies and payloads for the station, including critical materials for the science and research investigations that will occur during Expedition 44 and 45.

The launch date has been updated on NASA’s website at https://www.nasa.gov/launchschedule/. Later today NASA will issue an advisory of prelaunch activities and briefings to be held Friday and Saturday June 24-25.

A Brief Look at CRS-7

The CRS-7 mission will be the seventh operational cargo delivery flight by SpaceX to the International Space Station. It will carry a host of experiments, supplies and equipment for the crew of the orbiting laboratory. It also will ferry the first of two Boeing-built International Docking Adapters that will be used by Commercial Crew spacecraft in the future when they dock at the station.

Launch of CRS-7 from SpaceX’s facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is targeted for June 26 at 11:09 a.m. We will cover the countdown, launch and ascent into orbit here on the NASA Blog and on NASA TV at www.nasa.gov/ntv