Month: December 2020

SpaceX’s upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station after launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:17 a.m. EST.

The first launch for SpaceX under NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract, CRS-21 will deliver supplies, equipment, and materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur aboard the orbiting laboratory during Expeditions 64 and 65.

Included in this delivery is the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock, the first commercially owned and operated airlock that, once installed, will provide a variety of capabilities to the space station, such as payload hosting, robotics testing, and satellite deployment. It also will serve as an outside toolbox for crew members conducting spacewalks.

Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the space station tomorrow, Dec. 7. At approximately 1:30 p.m. EST, the spacecraft will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module – the first automated docking for a SpaceX cargo resupply mission. Live coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. EST on NASA TV and the agency’s website. NASA astronauts and Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover will monitor docking operations.

Cargo Dragon’s arrival at the space station will mark the first time two Dragon spacecraft will be docked to the orbiting laboratory at the same time. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Resilience, that brought the Crew-1 astronauts has been docked since its arrival on Nov. 16.

The cargo Dragon spacecraft will remain attached to the space station for about one month, after which it will return to Earth with 5,200 pounds of research and return cargo, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.

To stay updated on all station activities, follow @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts. Or, follow along the station blog at: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

The uncrewed cargo Dragon has separated from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, as the spacecraft continues its journey to the International Space Station to deliver critical supplies, equipment, and material to support multiple science and research experiments that will take place aboard the space station.

Dragon is slated to arrive at the orbiting laboratory around 1:30 p.m. EST tomorrow, Dec. 7. It will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module – the first automated docking for a SpaceX cargo resupply mission – while NASA astronauts and Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover monitor docking operations.

The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage has successfully landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. This marks the 100th successful landing of a Falcon 9 first stage, and the 35th landing on a droneship. This was the fourth flight for this particular first stage – one of those being the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission that carried NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station.

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

The nine Merlin engines in the first stage of the Falcon 9 have finished their burn, and the first stage has separated from the rocket. As the second stage continues carrying Dragon on its flight, the first stage will attempt a landing on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in about five minutes.

We have liftoff! At 11:17 a.m. EST, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbs away from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for SpaceX’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission.

The first launch of the company’s upgraded cargo version of Dragon, the spacecraft can now carry more science payloads to and from the orbiting laboratory. Scheduled to arrive at the space station tomorrow, Dec. 7, Dragon will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module at about 1:30 p.m. EST, delivering critical supplies, equipment, and materials to support a variety of science research and experiments that will be done in a microgravity environment.

In approximately five minutes, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. The rocket has been fueled with RP-1 (rocket-grade kerosene) and liquid oxygen, and Dragon has transitioned to internal power.

In just a few minutes, the final prelaunch checks will take place, and the SpaceX launch director will verify that we are a “go” for launch.

The Expedition 64 crew aboard the International Space Station will be spending the holiday season a little differently this year. Teams here on Earth are hoping a special delivery arriving on SpaceX’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission will help bring the crew some holiday cheer.

We asked the public, “What would you want supplied if you were spending the holidays in space?” As of Thursday, Dec. 3, more than 550 ideas have been submitted by virtual guests. More than 80% of those submissions mentioned some type of food or drink – from the generic “just give me chocolate, lots of chocolate,” to the more specific, “my Tia Dora’s menudo.”

It turns out, that “food and drink” theme is pretty accurate. Teams with the food lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston have packed the following items for the crew to enjoy:

Fresh Food Kit
Apples (Gala) 
Oranges (Navel and Blood)  
Mandarin Oranges 
Lemons

Holiday Bulk Overwrap Bags (BOB)
Cherry Blueberry Cobbler 
Cornbread Dressing 
Cranapple Dessert 
Jellied Cranberry Sauce 
Macaroni and Cheese 
Potatoes Au Gratin 
Roasted Turkey 
Shortbread Cookies 
Southwestern Corn 
Sparkle Gel 
Spicy Green Beans 
French Vanilla Cappuccino 
Wheat Flat Bread

Other Food BOBs
12 standard menu containers 
29 crew-specific menu and coffee tea preference containers 
Six food physiology containers

Also bound for the orbiting laboratory are vehicle hardware, supplies, and critical materials that will support a variety of science and research investigations scheduled to take place in a microgravity environment. Learn more about the CRS-21 mission and the payloads on board at: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/spacex_crs-21_mision_overview_high_res_0.pdf

Hello, and good morning from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida! Live countdown coverage for the launch of SpaceX’s 21st resupply services (CRS-21) mission to the International Space Station has begun – watch now on NASA TV or the agency’s website.

The uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A in just about 30 minutes, at 11:17 a.m. EST. The mission will deliver more than 6,400 pounds of supplies, equipment, and critical materials to support dozens of science and research experiments that will take place during Expeditions 64 and 65.

About 12 minutes after today’s launch, Dragon will separate from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, beginning a series of carefully choreographed thruster firings to reach the orbiting laboratory. Here’s a full look at today’s countdown and ascent milestones. All times are approximate:

COUNTDOWN
Hour/Min/Sec – Events
-00:38:00 – SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
-00:35:00 – RP-1 (rocket-grade kerosene) loading begins
-00:35:00 – 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
-00:16:00 – 2nd stage LOX loading begins
-00:07:00 – Falcon 9 begins pre-launch engine chill
-00:05:00 – Dragon transitions to internal power
-00:01:00 – Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
-00:01:00 – Propellant tanks pressurize for flight
-00:00:45 – SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
-00:00:03 – Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
-00:00:00 – Falcon 9 liftoff

LAUNCH, LANDING AND DRAGON DEPLOYMENT
Hour/Min/Sec – Event
00:01:18 – Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:30 – 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:34 – 1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:41 – 2nd stage engine starts
00:06:37 – 1st stage entry burn begins
00:08:38 – 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:08:38 – 1st stage landing
00:11:49 – Dragon separates from 2nd stage
00:12:35 – Dragon nosecone open sequence begins

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and cargo Dragon spacecraft stand ready for liftoff at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida for the company’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for today, Dec. 6, at 11:17 a.m. EST.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing are predicting a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for today’s launch, with the primary concern revolving around the thick cloud layer rule.

Some of the science that will be delivered on this mission includes 3D engineered heart tissues for a study that will examine how prolonged exposure to microgravity affects the human heart, meteorite samples and microbes to research the formation and biomining of asteroid material in space, and a study that will observe how brain organoids respond to microgravity. More information on these and additional payloads can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex-21-research-highlights

Tune in to NASA TV or the agency’s website at 10:45 a.m. EST for live launch countdown coverage or follow along right here on the blog.

Because of poor weather conditions in the recovery area for today’s planned launch of SpaceX’s 21st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station, SpaceX and NASA are now targeting lift off for Sunday, Dec. 6, at 11:17 a.m. EST. Launch coverage will begin at 10:45 a.m. on NASA TV and the agency’s website.

A launch Sunday would lead to docking Monday, Dec. 7, for the Dragon to deliver about 6,400 pounds of important science and research, cargo supplies, and the first privately funded commercial airlock to the Expedition 64 crew aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Follow launch activities at the launch blog and @NASAKennedy and learn more about space station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.