SpaceX Dragon Launch Sends Cargo Supplies to the International Space Station

After several delays due to weather disturbances, the Dragon spacecraft was successfully sent by engineering company SpaceX to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5. Falcon 9 rocket was lifted from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A. This was part of the company's 28^th resupply services mission for NASA's orbiting laboratory.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ NASA/Roscosmos)

Vital Supplies for the Orbiting Lab

Upon arriving at ISS, the Dragon spacecraft will dock at the space-facing port of the Harmony module while being monitored by NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg and Frank Rubio—the launch aimed to deliver almost 7,000 pounds of vital supplies and hardware to the station crew.

Various materials for science and research investigations were also sent, including the next pair of International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays (IROSAs). Using stored kinetic energy, the solar panels can expand the capability of the space station to produce energy. Once installed, it can provide a 20% to 30% increase in power for ISS research and operations.

The cargo also contains fresh food for the crew, such as blueberries, oranges, cheeses, and grapefruit. Aside from food, the next generation of seeds for Plant Habitat-03, a plant-growth facility that focuses on studying the adaptation of plants in space environments, will be supplied. It will also support the Thor-Davis investigation, which involves capturing blue jets and other lightning phenomena using the camera from a nadir window.

For more effective climate monitoring, a camera was sent by students from York University in Toronto, Ontario, to observe the ice and snow coverage in northern Canada. Also included in the launching is Genes in Space-10, a student-designed DNA experiment that received sponsorship from ISS National Laboratory.

The Critical Role of Resupply Missions

NASA's ambitious commercial space program is made possible through commercial resupply services (CRS). It is a series of flights that deliver cargo and supplies to the International Space Station using commercially operated spacecraft.

CRS serves as a public-private partnership that allows NASA to focus on developing next-generation rockets and spacecraft for future space travel. Since contracts are awarded only to American companies, it also helps build a strong position for the U.S. in the commercial space industry.

The first CRS contract was awarded to SpaceX for 12 cargo Dragon and to Orbital Sciences for 8 Cygnus flights. The CRS program also developed Falcon 9 and Antares rockets for resupply missions. A second phase of contracts called CRS-2 was carried out in 2014, which includes 12 flights for Orbital ATK and an extension of 12 flights for SpaceX. The 28^th resupply services mission of SpaceX, called CRS-28, falls under this second phase.

Cargo resupply by partner companies allows NASA to conduct investigations inside the orbiting laboratory. Those investigations play a significant role in developing new technologies, medical treatments, and products for improving life on Earth. Other agencies and research institutions can also perform microgravity research through NASA's collaboration with ISS National Laboratory.