SpaceX\u2019s 25th contracted resupply mission for NASA\u2019s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) initiative has safely and successfully arrived at the International Space Station (ISS), docking to the forward port on the Harmony\/Node-2 module.<\/p>\n
The arrival took place 38 and a half hours after liftoff from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and marks the start of approximately one month of joint operations with the station.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Overall, Cargo Dragon C208-3, the \u201c-3\u201d indicating its third flight, carries 2,631 kg of cargo, food, supplies, and experiments for the station\u2019s seven-member crew.<\/p>\n
Of the experiments, one in particular from NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT).<\/p>\n
To be mounted outside the ISS, EMIT will use NASA imaging spectroscopy technology to take measurements of the mineral composition of dust in Earth\u2019s arid regions.<\/p>\n
This dust, when taken airborne, can travel around the globe and affect local weather conditions and overall climate, and it can have positive and negative effects on crop and livestock production as well. It can also affect air quality, snow melt, and phytoplankton health in the oceans.<\/p>\n