posted 05-25-2021 03:43 PM               

SpaceX CRS-22 Mission Overview

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the CRS-22 Dragon spacecraft to deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station for NASA.

The second flight under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract with SpaceX, the CRS-22 Dragon will carry research, logistics and hardware for the Expedition 65/66 crew including:

• ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSA) launching for installation during the summer 2021 spacewalks to upgrade power capabilities on-orbit;

• Tardigrades (Cell Science-04) – commonly called water bears – to examine how they adapt to conditions in low-Earth orbit, which could advance understanding of the stress factors affecting humans in space;

• Cotton plants (TICTOC; Targeting Improved Cotton Through On-orbit Cultivation) to study the stress of microgravity and evaluate effects on growth and root behavior. This investigation, funded by the retail chain Target, seeks to better understand the genetics involved in root system development, which could lead to the production of cotton plants that use water more efficiently on Earth;

• Bobtail squid (ADSEP-UMAMI; Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions) as a model to examine the effects of spaceflight on interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts;

• Portable ultrasound technology (Butterfly IQ) that could provide important medical capabilities for future exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit; and

• The first private-sector oral health care investigation on the ISS. This project, funded by Colgate-Palmolive, aims to identify the molecular characteristics of a healthy and diseased oral microbiome (a microbial community composed of different bacterial species) by cultivating oral bacterial biofilms growing on an enamel-type surface.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster (B1067) supporting this mission has not flown before. Following stage separation, SpaceX will attempt to recover the Falcon 9's first stage on an autonomous drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

The CRS-22 Dragon will return to Earth with research and cargo after spending about four weeks at the space station.

posted 06-03-2021 12:48 PM               

SpaceX launched its 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-22) on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT) atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

posted 06-05-2021 12:23 PM               

SpaceX Cargo Craft Docks to Station

While the International Space Station was traveling more than 250 miles over the South Pacific ocean, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the space-facing side of the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module at 5:09 a.m. EDT [0909 GMT], Saturday, June 5. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur were monitoring docking operations for Dragon.

This 22nd contracted resupply mission for SpaceX delivers the new ISS Roll-out Solar Arrays (iROSA) to the space station in the trunk of the Dragon spacecraft. The robotic Canadarm2 will extract the arrays and astronauts will install them during spacewalks planned for June 16 and 20.

posted 07-08-2021 10:01 AM               

Dragon departs station, returns to Earth Friday

With NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough monitoring aboard the International Space Station, SpaceX's Dragon CRS-22 cargo spacecraft undocked from the space-facing port on the Harmony module on Thursday (July 8) at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT).

On Friday, the Dragon will conduct a deorbit burn to begin its re-entry sequence into Earth's atmosphere. The capsule is expected to splash down at approximately 11:29 p.m. EDT (0329 GMT July 10) in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee, Florida.

Some of the scientific investigations the Dragon is returning to Earth include:

• Lyophilization-2, which examined how gravity affects freeze-dried materials and could result in improved freeze-drying processes for pharmaceutical and other industries.

• Molecular Muscle Experiment-2, which tested a series of drugs to see whether they can improve health in space, possibly leading to new therapeutic targets for examination on Earth.

• Oral Biofilms in Space, sponsored by Colgate-Polmolive, which studied how gravity affects the structure, composition, and activity of oral bacteria in the presence of common oral care agents. The findings could support development of novel treatments to fight oral diseases such as cavities, gingivitis and periodontitis.

posted 07-09-2021 10:49 PM               

Splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing SpaceX's 22nd cargo resupply mission to the space station!

Dragon Returns to Earth for CRS-22 Mission

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft completed its 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission to and from the International Space Station for NASA, successfully returning to Earth and splashing down off the coast of Florida on Friday, July 9 at 11:30 p.m. EDT.

Dragon undocked from the International Space Station on Thursday, July 8 at 10:45 a.m. EDT and then performed three burns of its Draco thrusters to move away from the orbiting laboratory. After approximately 37 hours of phasing, the spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere and deployed its two drogue and four main parachutes for a soft water landing in the Gulf of Mexico.