{"id":11638,"date":"2021-06-04T01:40:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T17:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-cargo-ship-launches-on-mission-to-upgrade-space-station-electrical-grid\/"},"modified":"2021-06-04T01:40:25","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T17:40:25","slug":"spacex-cargo-ship-launches-on-mission-to-upgrade-space-station-electrical-grid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-cargo-ship-launches-on-mission-to-upgrade-space-station-electrical-grid\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX cargo ship launches on mission to upgrade space station electrical grid"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_52077\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52077\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52077\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_2-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_2-678x433.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_2-768x491.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52077\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nine Merlin main engines propel a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into the sky over the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. Credit: Stephen Clark \/ Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trailing a brilliant orange flame, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered into orbit Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a Dragon cargo ship hauling experiments and new solar arrays to enhance the International Space Station\u2019s power generation capability.<\/p>\n<p>The 215-foot-tall (65-meter) rocket launched from pad 39A, the same location where Apollo moon missions took off, at 1:29:15 p.m. EDT (1729:15 GMT) Thursday, taking advantage of a break in rain showers streaming across Florida\u2019s Space Coast.<\/p>\n<p>Nine powerful Merlin 1D main engines propelled the launcher off the pad and steered the Falcon 9 on a trajectory to the northeast from the Florida spaceport, lining up with the space station\u2019s orbital plane to begin the Dragon capsule\u2019s high-speed pursuit of the research outpost.<\/p>\n<p>The Falcon 9 soared through broken clouds over the space center, letting out a deep rumble as it headed into orbit.<\/p>\n<p>Two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, the rocket\u2019s first stage booster shut down and began maneuvers to return to a landing on a SpaceX drone ship parked in the Atlantic Ocean more than 180 miles (300 kilometers) downrange from Cape Canaveral.<\/p>\n<p>The brand new 15-story booster completed its first trip to space with a successful landing on the deck of the football field-sized drone ship, which will bring the rocket back to Cape Canaveral for refurbishment. SpaceX plans to use the rocket again on the next launch of a Crew Dragon spaceship with NASA astronauts in October.<\/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=1400513249200820225&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Fspacex-supply-ship-launches-on-mission-to-begin-upgrading-space-station-electrical-grid%2F&amp;sessionId=9992a47a06eb3b32fa3e1f107eef5db76b2dceab&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1400513249200820225\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782468673410850807=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Here\u2019s a replay of the Falcon 9 rocket taking off from the Kennedy Space Center with 1.7 million pounds of thrust.<\/p>\n<p>This is the:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 120th Falcon 9 flight<br \/>\n\u2022 17th SpaceX launch of 2021<br \/>\n\u2022 22nd SpaceX cargo flight to ISS<br \/>\n\u2022 130th launch from pad 39Ahttps:\/\/t.co\/BRCUwOBzPH pic.twitter.com\/b5Mec8T1Mb<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) June 3, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>About a minute after the first stage landed, the Falcon 9\u2019s second stage engine cut off after placing the Cargo Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The supply ship deployed from the rocket about 12 minutes into the mission, and opened its nose cone moments later to reveal a docking port that will link up with the space station.<\/p>\n<p>A series of firings using the Dragon\u2019s Draco thrusters over the next day-and-a-half will set up for a final approach to the space station early Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>After lining up with its docking target, the Cargo Dragon will move in to link up with the space-facing port of the space station\u2019s Harmony module at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>The picture-perfect launch Wednesday was SpaceX\u2019s 17th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket since Jan. 1, a record pace for any U.S. rocket company. SpaceX is preparing another Falcon 9 rocket for launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Sunday with the SXM 8 radio broadcasting satellite for SiriusXM.<\/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>Unlike the previous 16 flights by Falcon 9 rockets this year, the launch Thursday debuted a first stage booster fresh from SpaceX\u2019s factory in Hawthorne, California. Before Thursday\u2019s fiery blastoff, the booster was gleaming white, free of the dark charcoal color on the skin of previously-flown Falcon 9s.<\/p>\n<p>Four years ago, SpaceX had only flown a reused rocket once. Now it\u2019s flown 63 missions with reused first stages, more than half of the Falcon 9 rocket\u2019s entire flight history.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the 17th mission that SpaceX has launched just in this front half of 2021 \u2026 and the first one that\u2019s on a new booster introducing a new booster to the fleet,\u201d said Sarah Walker, SpaceX\u2019s director of Dragon mission management. \u201cWe\u2019re actually surprised when we get to a mission like today\u2019s where we\u2019re flying a new booster.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52078\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52078\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52078\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_5.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_5-678x452.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crs22_5-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52078\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket climbs into the sky over NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center to begin the company\u2019s 22nd cargo mission to the International Space Station. Credit: Stephen Clark \/ Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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. Like its rocket booster, the capsule that launched Thursday was on its first voyage into space.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s 22nd commercial resupply mission is set to deliver experiments, food, spare parts, a NASA-sponsored CubeSat built by middle school students in Tennessee, and other equipment to the space station\u2019s seven-person crew. The Dragon\u2019s entire cargo load, including pressurized and unpressurized sections, adds up to 7,337 pounds (3,328 kilograms).<\/p>\n<p>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>Two new power-generating solar array wings for the space station are spooled on cylindrical canisters and fastened inside the Dragon spacecraft\u2019s rear trunk section. The ISS Roll-Out Solar Array, or iROSA, units weighed about 3,042 pounds (1,380 kilograms) at launch, according to NASA.<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" 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-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1400527543246245892&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Fspacex-supply-ship-launches-on-mission-to-begin-upgrading-space-station-electrical-grid%2F&amp;sessionId=9992a47a06eb3b32fa3e1f107eef5db76b2dceab&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1400527543246245892\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782468673410850807=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The first stage of SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket descended to a pinpoint landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean nearly eight minutes after launch today.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a sped-up video showing the 15-story booster\u2019s supersonic dive back into the atmosphere.https:\/\/t.co\/BRCUwOBzPH pic.twitter.com\/KGOjktNu6D<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) June 3, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/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 trunk and remove the two iROSA 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>Astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet will venture outside the space station on two spacewalks scheduled for June 16 and June 20. The spacewalker will install the iROSA canisters before the wings deploy over top of a pair of existing solar arrays, unrolling like mats instead of unfolding like an accordion, the method employed by most conventional spacecraft 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, canted at 10-degree angles to the original solar panels.<\/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 will carry 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><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-2\" 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-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1400508992674320384&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Fspacex-supply-ship-launches-on-mission-to-begin-upgrading-space-station-electrical-grid%2F&amp;sessionId=9992a47a06eb3b32fa3e1f107eef5db76b2dceab&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1400508992674320384\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782468673410850807=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">SpaceX\u2019s Cargo Dragon spaceship has separated from the upper stage of its Falcon 9 launcher.<\/p>\n<p>With today\u2019s successful launch, the Dragon supply ship is on track to reach the International Space Station for a docking at 5am EDT (0900 GMT) Saturday.https:\/\/t.co\/BRCUwOBzPH pic.twitter.com\/M4rVyhMDPO<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) June 3, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/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 launched Thursday 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 is also hauling 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>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><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>Nine Merlin main engines propel a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into the sky over the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. Credit: Stephen Clark \/ Spaceflight Now Trailing a brilliant orange flame, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered into orbit Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a Dragon cargo ship hauling experiments and [&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-11638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11638"}],"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=11638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11638\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}