{"id":11636,"date":"2021-06-05T23:21:51","date_gmt":"2021-06-05T15:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/dragon-capsule-delivers-7300-pounds-of-cargo-to-international-space-station\/"},"modified":"2021-06-05T23:21:51","modified_gmt":"2021-06-05T15:21:51","slug":"dragon-capsule-delivers-7300-pounds-of-cargo-to-international-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/dragon-capsule-delivers-7300-pounds-of-cargo-to-international-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"Dragon capsule delivers 7,300 pounds of cargo to International Space Station"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_52121\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52121\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52121\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22-678x452.jpeg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22-768x512.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52121\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy captured this photo of SpaceX\u2019s Cargo Dragon spacecraft approaching the International Space Station on Saturday. Credit: Oleg Novitskiy\/Roscosmos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Wrapping up a two-day transit from a launch pad in Florida, a SpaceX Dragon capsule autonomously linked up with the International Space Station Saturday with more than 7,300 pounds of cargo, including new solar arrays, crew supplies, and experiments looking at how spaceflight affects the biology of tardigrades and baby squid.<\/p>\n<p>The tardigrades and squid are part of scientific investigations to examine biological changes caused by microgravity might affect humans. The two solar array wings will augment the space station\u2019s aging electrical grid.<\/p>\n<p>After a smooth rendezvous, the Cargo Dragon spaceship docked with the upper port of the space station\u2019s Harmony module at 5:08 a.m. EDT (0908 GMT) as the orbiting complex soared 258 miles (415 kilometers) over the South Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>Astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur monitored the Dragon spacecraft\u2019s automated final approach from a position inside the space station.<\/p>\n<p>A few minutes after the initial docking, the Dragon capsule retracted its docking ring, and 12 hooks drove closed to create firm mechanical connection with the space station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHard capture is complete, and it\u2019s a great day seeing another Dragon on the ISS,\u201d radioed Leslie Ringo, spacecraft communicator at NASA\u2019s mission control in Houston.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a great approach, and it was awesome watching it come on in, and we\u2019re glad it\u2019s here,\u201d Kimbrough replied. \u201cLooking forward all the science and other goodies it brought up, along with the EVA solar arrays, so it\u2019s going to be a great few weeks as we get into Dragon and get things out. So thanks to the team for everything. Looking forward to working with everything on-board.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1401105107849252869&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2021%2F06%2F05%2Fdragon-capsule-delivers-7300-pounds-of-cargo-to-international-space-station%2F&amp;sessionId=6b840cdb7f5e4d8795193f1453534167e5e2a52c&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1401105107849252869\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782468667758914667=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Here\u2019s the moment the Cargo Dragon spacecraft linked up with the International Space Station, delivering fresh food, experiments, and new solar arrays.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the 22nd arrival of a SpaceX supply ship at the orbiting outpost.https:\/\/t.co\/BRCUwOBzPH pic.twitter.com\/wrkQoq5D9E<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) June 5, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Kimbrough and crewmate Thomas Pesquet are scheduled to head outside the space station for a pair of spacewalks, or EVAs, June 16 and June 20 to connect the two new solar array wings to the far left, or port, side of the lab\u2019s huge power truss.<\/p>\n<p>The Cargo Dragon capsule launched at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT) Thursday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>While astronauts open hatches and unpack the Dragon\u2019s pressurized compartment, the space station\u2019s Canadian-built robotic arm will reach into the capsule\u2019s unpressurized trunk and remove the two solar array wings. The arm will transfer the solar arrays to a mounting bracket on the space station\u2019s power truss, which stretches as long as a football field.<\/p>\n<p>The International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, or iROSA, units are&nbsp;spooled on cylindrical canisters. They are designed to roll out like a yoga mat. Conventional solar panels used on most spacecraft unfold like an accordion, and are heavier and take up more volume than the iROSA wings.<\/p>\n<p>Kimbrough and Pesquet will install and configure the iROSA canisters before the wings deploy over top of a pair of existing solar arrays. The iROSA wings will be canted at an angle of about 10 degrees relative to the station\u2019s current solar panels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey come up rolled up,\u201d said Joel Montalbano, NASA\u2019s space station program manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. \u201cThink of it like a Tootsie Roll, and they expand and then deploy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The roll-out arrays come with more efficient solar cells than the 20-year-old solar panels they will replace. Developed by Deployable Space Systems, a manufacturer recently acquired by the space infrastructure company Redwire, the roll-out arrays are half the size of the space station\u2019s existing solar panels, but they generate roughly the same amount of electricity.<\/p>\n<p>The space station\u2019s eight original solar panels launched in pairs on four space shuttle missions in 2000, 2006, 2007, and 2009. The old arrays will remain on the station, but six will be partially covered by the new roll-out wings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver time, the solar arrays on-board have degraded,\u201d Montalbano said. \u201cWe celebrated 20 years of continuous human presence last year, and over time, just like any large home, you have to do upgrades and repairs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The upgraded arrays, coupled with residual power output from the old solar panels, will give the space station about 215 kilowatts of electrical power.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese new solar arrays will put us at a power generation equal to when we first flew arrays on-board the International Space Station,\u201d Montalbano said.<\/p>\n<p>The added power generation capability will allow the space station to welcome a new commercial module developed by Axiom Space, and keep the complex running until at least 2030, officials said.<\/p>\n<p>Four more iROSA wings are scheduled to launch on two Dragon cargo flights in 2022. Similar roll-out solar arrays are in development for use on the planned Gateway mini-space station in orbit around the moon, part of NASA\u2019s Artemis program to return astronauts to the lunar surface.<\/p>\n<p>Other payloads aboard the Cargo Dragon spacecraft include biological experiments, technology demonstration hardware, spare part, food, and other provisions for the space station\u2019s crew.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis particular flight is going to bring up 37 investigations, and that is going to be a complement to the hundreds that we do every year on the ISS,\u201d said Jennifer Buchli, NASA\u2019s deputy chief scientist for the space station program.<\/p>\n<p>One of the experiments delivered tardigrades, or water bears, to the space station to allow researchers to examine how the tiny animals withstand the stresses of spaceflight. Scientists have already shown tardigrades can survive extreme temperatures, pressures, radiation, and even in the vacuum of space.<\/p>\n<p>The tardigrades will help scientists identify the genes involved in their adaptation and survival in high-stress environments, according to NASA. The resilient animals will return to Earth for scientists to study. Researchers hope the results could aid in the understanding of the stress factors affecting humans in space, NASA said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re using these animals because they\u2019re some of the toughest animals we know of,\u201d said Thomas Boothby, a professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming, and chief scientist on the tardigrade investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Another research payload will focus on how spaceflight impacts interactions between biologically beneficial microbes and their animal hosts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeneficial microbes play a significant role in the normal development of animal tissues and in maintaining human health, but gravity\u2019s role in shaping these interactions is not well understood,\u201d NASA said in a press kit for the Cargo Dragon mission. \u201cThis experiment could support the development of measures to preserve astronaut health and identify ways to protect and enhance these relationships for better wellbeing on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The experiment, named UMAMI, will examine the relationship between young bobtail squid specimens and symbiotic bacteria, which will be introduced to the squid once in space.<\/p>\n<p>Other experiments on the Cargo Dragon capsule include a payload to study the growth of cotton plant roots in microgravity, which could lead to development of cotton varieties on Earth that require less water and fewer pesticides, according to NASA.<\/p>\n<p>The Cargo Dragon also hauled a catalytic reactor for the space station\u2019s water generation system, hardware for an emergency breathing system for the station astronauts, and an electronics unit for a Russian remote-control docking system for visiting Progress cargo spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>The SpaceX supply ship also delivered two CubeSats that will be released into orbit outside the space station from a Nanoracks deployer. One of the CubeSats, built by middle school students in Tennessee, was sponsored by a NASA education program, and the other CubeSat is the first satellite from Mauritius to travel into space.<\/p>\n<p>This mission is SpaceX\u2019s 22nd cargo resupply flight to the space station under contract to NASA, and the second to use a new generation of Dragon cargo freighters derived from SpaceX\u2019s human-rated Crew Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>The cargo load adds up to 7,337 pounds (3,328 kilograms).&nbsp;That makes it the heaviest supply shipment SpaceX has ever sent to the space station. Northrop Grumman\u2019s Cygnus supply freighters, which are designed for one flight each, can accommodate slightly heavier and more voluminous cargo.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a breakdown of the cargo on the SpaceX CRS-22 resupply mission:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays: <\/strong>3,042&nbsp;pounds (1,380 kilograms)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Science Investigations:&nbsp;<\/strong>2,028 pounds (920 kilograms)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vehicle Hardware: <\/strong>760&nbsp;pounds (345 kilograms)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Crew Supplies: <\/strong>751&nbsp;pounds (341 kilograms)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Computer Resources: <\/strong>129&nbsp;pounds (58 kilograms)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spacewalk Equipment: <\/strong>115&nbsp;pounds (52 kilograms)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The new Cargo Dragon spacecraft design, which debuted with SpaceX\u2019s previous resupply mission in December, can haul about 20 percent more cargo volume than previous Dragon cargo ships. The new cargo vehicle can stay at the space station for up to 75 days, more than twice as long as the first-generation Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>The Cargo Dragon, which splashes down off the coast of Florida at the end of each mission, can be used up to five times. That\u2019s an improvement over the three-flight design of the first-generation Dragon cargo capsule. The new spacecraft can autonomously dock with the space station. Past Dragon cargo missions had to be captured by astronauts using the space station\u2019s Canadian robot arm.<\/p>\n<p>That change reduces the workload on the space station crew and makes the Cargo Dragon\u2019s rendezvous profile nearly identical to the Crew Dragon, but the docking port used by the new Cargo Dragon has a narrower passageway than the connection used by the berthing system on the first-generation Dragon cargo capsule.<\/p>\n<p>The first upgraded Cargo Dragon spaceship launched to the space station in December and returned to Earth in January. It\u2019s now being refurbished for a future resupply mission. The capsule that docked with the space station Saturday is &nbsp;on its first voyage into space and is scheduled to depart the station and return to Earth in July.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy captured this photo of SpaceX\u2019s Cargo Dragon spacecraft approaching the International Space Station on Saturday. Credit: Oleg Novitskiy\/Roscosmos Wrapping up a two-day transit from a launch pad in Florida, a SpaceX Dragon capsule autonomously linked up with the International Space Station Saturday with more than 7,300 pounds of cargo, including new [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11636"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11636\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}