Category: Commercial Resupply

More than 7,300 pounds of science and research, crew supplies, and vehicle hardware are on their way to the International Space Station, following the picture-perfect launch of SpaceX’s 22nd resupply services mission. SpaceX’s upgraded Dragon spacecraft launched atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida, marking the first flight of this Dragon spacecraft. Liftoff occurred at 1:29 p.m. EDT.

“The vehicles that deliver our crews, they do a great job of getting our crews there safely to and from station, but their cargo capacity is very limited,” said Jeff Arend, manager of the International Space Station Office for Systems Engineering and Integration. “We couldn’t conduct all of the science we do, as well as provide for our crew members, without our cargo resupply vehicles. Our cargo flights are vital to maintaining and fully utilizing our orbiting laboratory.”

The second launch for SpaceX under NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract, the mission will deliver a variety of science and research experiments, including one that could help develop better pharmaceuticals and therapies for treating kidney disease on Earth, a study of cotton root systems that could identify plant varieties that require less water and pesticides, and an experiment using bobtail squid as a model to examine the effects of spaceflight on interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts.

Also included in the delivery are the first two of six new roll-out solar arrays. These will be extracted by a robotic arm and installed by astronauts during a series of spacewalks this summer.

“Over time, our solar arrays age. The first set of arrays have been up there over 20 years,” Arend said. “This augmentation is going to help us fully extend the life of the International Space Station and fully execute our full suite of research as we move forward. And probably most importantly, it allows us to power more science and research, especially in the form of future exploration systems and commercial users.”

About two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage separated from the rocket, and a few minutes later, successfully landed on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Atlantic Ocean. Next, Dragon separated from the rocket completely. The spacecraft is now in orbit, traveling solo to the space station.

Dragon is slated to arrive at the orbiting laboratory on Saturday, June 5, and will autonomously dock to the space-facing port on the station’s Harmony module. Expedition 65 Flight Engineers Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA will monitor docking operations, and live coverage will air on NASA TV and the agency’s website beginning at 3:30 a.m. EDT. Docking is targeted for 5 a.m.

Dragon will spend more than a month attached to the space station, after which it will return to Earth with up to 5,300 pounds of research and return cargo, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern coast of Florida.

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 Dragon spacecraft has separated from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, continuing on its solo journey to the International Space Station to deliver crew supplies, vehicle hardware, and critical materials to support multiple science and research investigations that will take place aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the space station on Saturday, June 5. The spacecraft will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module, while Expedition 65 Flight Engineers Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA monitor its arrival. Dragon is expected to spend more than a month attached to the space station before autonomously undocking and returning to Earth, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean with research and return cargo.

The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage sticks the landing, touching down on the “Of Course I still Love You” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Today’s launch marks the first flight of this Falcon 9 rocket, and the next time it flies will be on SpaceX’s Crew-3 mission in the fall.

Coming up next, Dragon will separate from the rocket’s second stage to continue its journey to the International Space Station.

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

In just under 15 minutes, the Falcon 9 rocket’s nine Merlin engines will roar to life, sending the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for SpaceX’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission. By now, the rocket has been fueled with liquid oxygen and RP-1 – rocket-grade kerosene.

In the next few minutes, the Falcon 9’s engines will begin to chill, preparing them for launch. At five minutes before launch, Dragon will transition to internal power, and a few minutes after that, the command flight computer will begin its final pre-launch checks. At about T-45 seconds, the SpaceX launch director will verify “go” for launch. As a reminder, liftoff is targeted for 1:29 p.m. EDT.

Dragon will deliver critical materials that will support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 65 and 66. To learn more about station activities, follow @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Hello, and good afternoon from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida! A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft stand ready for liftoff at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. Today’s launch is targeted for 1:29 p.m. EDT, just a little under 30 minutes away, and live countdown coverage has begun. Watch now on NASA TV or the agency’s website.

The second flight for SpaceX under NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services Contract, and the company’s 22nd overall cargo resupply mission, this mission will deliver more than 7,300 pounds of science experiments and research, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station.

Here’s a look at some of today’s countdown and ascent milestones. All times are approximate:

COUNTDOWN 
Hr/Min/Sec        Event
– 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
Hr/Min/Sec        Event
00:01:12                 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:26               1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:30               1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:37               2nd stage engine starts
00:02:43        1st stage boostback burn begins
00:05:52               1st stage entry burn begins
00:07:41               1st stage landing
00:08:39               2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:11:52                 Dragon separates from 2nd stage

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 1:29 p.m. EDT today, June 3, for SpaceX’s 22nd cargo resupply launch to the International Space Station. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket and uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron continue to predict a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for today’s launch, with the cumulus cloud rule and flight through precipitation serving as the primary weather concerns.

Dragon will deliver critical science and research investigations, crew supplies, and hardware to the space station. Upon Dragon’s arrival – slated for Saturday, June 5 – NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur will monitor operations while the spacecraft autonomously docks to the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module.

Beginning at 1 p.m., join us here on the blog for live coverage, and follow along on NASA TV or the agency’s website for the live launch broadcast.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped with the company’s upgraded Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. Following a prelaunch news conference held at Kennedy, NASA and SpaceX remain on track for the company’s 22nd cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station.

“Just a couple of months ago, the Crew-2 crew got on board, and now they’re waiting to receive all this science and do it, so it’s really exciting for us at SpaceX,” said Sarah Walker, director of Dragon Mission Management at SpaceX. “Thanks to NASA for your ongoing partnership; this is an exciting mission, and tomorrow is just one more example of a long history that we’re thankful for.”

Liftoff is slated to occur at 1:29 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 3, and weather officials continue to predict a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. The primary weather concerns for liftoff are the cumulus cloud rule and flight through precipitation.

“It’s Florida, it’s summertime, and that means showers and storms; the main issue would be a few of those showers that come off of the coast and head toward our launch facility,” said Mark Burger, launch weather officer with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron. “However, given that there’s quite a lot of real estate between each one of those showers, I do think there’s still a better-than-average chance that we’ll be able to thread the needle and get in a good launch opportunity for tomorrow.”

Dragon will deliver more than 7,300 pounds of science and research investigations, supplies, and hardware to the orbiting laboratory and its crew. A few of the investigations arriving in Dragon’s pressurized capsule include an experiment that could help develop better pharmaceuticals and therapies for treating kidney disease on Earth, a study of cotton root systems that could identify plant varieties that require less water and pesticides, and an experiment using bobtail squid as a model to examine the effects of spaceflight on interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts.

Also included in that delivery are the first two of six new roll-out solar arrays, which will be installed during spacewalks later this month to upgrade the station’s power capabilities.

“With seven crew members on board, the team is really just knocking it out of the park,” said Joel Montalbano, program manager for NASA’s International Space Station Program Office. “The utilization and research that they’re able to do on board, the commercialization efforts, the technology developed for our lunar program – it’s really a pleasure to watch these guys. They’re excited for the mission, and they’re excited to see these two new solar arrays on board.”

About 12 minutes after launch, Dragon will separate from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, starting its solo journey to the space station. The uncrewed spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the station on Saturday, June 5. Upon its arrival, Dragon will autonomously dock to the space station’s Harmony module, with Expedition 65 Flight Engineers Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA monitoring operations.

After spending about one month attached to the station, Dragon will autonomously undock to begin its journey home. Upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will splash down in the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern coast of Florida, bringing with it experiment samples and return cargo.

Tune in to NASA TV or the agency’s website at 1 p.m. EDT tomorrow, or follow along right here on the blog, for live launch countdown coverage. Learn more about the mission at: https://www.nasa.gov/content/spacex-22-mission-overview.