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Russia warns United States: use of SpaceX for spying makes its satellites a target - Reuters
SpaceX launched its 30th cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA this afternoon (March 21), carrying 3 tons of supplies and scientific hardware to the orbiting lab.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying an uncrewed Cargo Dragon spacecraft lifted off today at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT) from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The mission, known as CRS-30, was the first cargo launch from SLC-40 since March 2020. Since then, the pad has been outfitted with a new launch tower, which allows for more efficient cargo loading and upgrades the facility to support crewed launches as well.
Related: SpaceX to launch 30th cargo mission to the ISS for NASA this week
Before the SLC-40 upgrades, "we loaded cargo while the vehicle was still horizontal using a mobile cleanroom before we would take the vehicle vertical for lunch, but thanks to this new state of the art crew tower, required for our human spaceflight missions, that late-load cargo operation got a massive upgrade, too," Sarah Walker, director of SpaceX Dragon mission management, said during a pre-launch press briefing on Tuesday (March 19).
"It's much easier to load a huge complement of time-critical NASA science into our Dragon spacecraft in the flight orientation," she added.
The Falcon 9's first stage booster came back to Earth as planned today, making a vertical touchdown at SpaceX's Landing Zone-1, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, about eight minutes after launch. It was the sixth launch and landing for the booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.
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The CRS-30's Cargo Dragon capsule separated from the rocket's upper stage just under 12 minutes after launch. The spacecraft will spend around two days en route to the ISS, with a rendezvous and docking scheduled for 7:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday (March 23). You can watch that orbital meetup live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, beginning at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT) on Saturday.
Over 6,000 pounds (2,721 kilograms) of scientific supplies, maintenance equipment, two new coffee kits, fresh fruits and vegetables and other food for the station's inhabitants are stowed aboard Dragon on CRS-30. Included in that haul is a new spare pump stored in Dragon's trunk, which will be integrated into the space station's external thermal loop system.
In addition to materials to support ongoing research aboard the orbital laboratory, a number of new science investigations are also aboard CRS-30 to enrich our understanding of the effects of microgravity on a range of biological and technological processes.
TheNano Particle Haloing Suspensionexperiment, for example, will study nanoparticles' reaction to electrical fields, and their use to help synthesize semiconductor material known as "quantum dots," which holds the potential to greatly increase the efficiency of solar panel technology.
The Multi-resolution Scanner (MRS)experiment will utilize the existing autonomous Astrobee robots aboard the ISS to test 3D mapping technology. "The team has big plans for future applications [of this technology] in spaceflight," said Heidi Parris, associate program scientist at NASA's ISS Program Research Office. "If it works well inside the ISS, this technology could be developed to use for scanning of exterior hull damage on the ISS or other space stations, as well as lunar and Martian surface scanning."
Parris highlighted a number of other investigations during Tuesday's press call as well, including the APEX-09 experiment to examine the genetic makeup of plants in microgravity.
CRS-30 "is also going to launch research into many, many other areas, including cellular microbiology, crystal growth, astrophysics, human research, material science and much more," Parris said.
CRS-30 will remain docked to the Harmony module's zenith (upward-facing) port for about a month before deorbiting and returning to Earth. Dragon is the only cargo vehicle currently able to withstand reentry forces through Earth's atmosphere, and it's therefore used to return a number of research materials and other spent items from the space station.
The other two currently operational cargo vehicles Northrup Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft and Russia's Progress vessel are designed to burn up upon reentry.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 5:15 p.m. ET on March 21 with news of successful rocket launch, first-stage landing and Dragon deployment.
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SpaceX launches its 30th Dragon cargo mission to the ISS (video) - Space.com
Editors note: This media advisory was updated on March 22, 2024, to reflect a change in news conference participants.
After spending 199 days in space, NASAs SpaceX Crew-7 crew members will discuss their science mission aboard the International Space Station during a news conference at 2:30 p.m. EDT Monday, March 25, at the agencys Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa will answer media questions about their mission aboard the space station and their return to Earth. The three crew members, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov returned aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, splashing down at 5:47 a.m., March 12, off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, before flying back to Houston.
Event coverage will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agencyswebsite. Learn how to stream NASA TVthrough a variety of platforms including social media.
Media are invited to attend in-person or virtually. Media must RSVP to the Johnson newsroom no later than 12:30 p.m. March 25 at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or 281-483-5111. Media should dial-in to the news conference by 2 p.m. the day of the event to ask a question. Questions also may be submitted on social media using #AskNASA. A copy of NASAs media accreditation policy is online.
The crew spent six-and-a-half months in space, with 197 days total aboard the space station. During the mission, Moghbeli completed a spacewalk, a first in her career, alongside NASA astronaut Loral OHara. It was the first spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov, and the second for Furukawa and Mogensen.
The crew lived and worked aboard the station since Aug. 26, 2023. Duringthe mission, crew contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, including studying plant immune function in microgravity, testing materials in the space environment, and observing thunderstorms to understand the effects of lightning and electrical activity on Earths climate and atmosphere. These experiments are helping to prepare for exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth.
They spent five days with the newly arrived crew of NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 mission, who docked to the station on March 5, and conducted a direct handover introducing three first-time flyers to the space station, discussing ongoing tasks and system statuses.
Get the latest NASA space station news, images, and features on Instagram,Facebook, andX.
Learn more about NASAs Commercial Crew Program:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
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Josh Finch / Claire OShea Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.oshea@nasa.gov
Chelsey Ballarte Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 chelsey.n.ballarte@nasa.gov
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Following Safe Return, NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 to Recount Space Mission - NASA
A Falcon 9 soars from pad 40 carrying a Cargo Dragon spaceship bound for the International Space Station. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.
Update: Liftoff occurred on time at 4:55 p.m. EDT and was followed by separation of the Cargo Dragon vehicle a little less than 12 minutes into flight.
SpaceX kicked off the next phase of launches from Cape Canaveral that was, in a way, a callback to a previous era in their launch history. Thursdays Falcon 9 launch marked SpaceXs 30th flight as part of NASAs Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program, but it was also the first time a Dragon 2 spacecraft launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from pad 40.
Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket and Cargo Dragon spacecraft on this mission happened at Thursday, March 21, at 4:55 p.m. ET (2055 UTC). More than 6,000 pounds of cargo and science was packed into the capsule, which will dock autonomously to the zenith port of the ISS Harmony module on Saturday morning at roughly 7:30 a.m. ET (1130 UTC). NASA astronauts Loral OHara and Michael Barratt, will oversee the docking process from inside the ISS.
The 45th Weather Squadron forecast conditions to be 90 percent favorable at liftoff on Thursday, with upper-level winds potentially being a limiting factor.
The SpaceX 30 cargo vehicle is packed full of the hardware and samples to support a very diverse set of new and continuing research from all across the international partnership, said Heidi Harris, the associated program scientist for NASAs International Space Station Program Research Office.
These investigations are taking full advantage of all of the things that the ISS has to offer, including exposure to the harsh environment of space, a unique vantage point in low Earth orbit and also a prolonged access to that microgravity environment where researchers can quite literally take gravity out of the equation to understand their science at a more fundamental level.
During her remarks as part of a pre-launch teleconference, Sarah Walker, SpaceXs director of Dragon Mission Management, said that she and the team are especially excited about where their Dragon 2 spacecraft will be launching.
CRS-20, that last mission to launch off of 40, was the last in a long and successful initial cargo resupply contract with NASA using our first iteration Dragon vehicle, Walker said. And as youre probably aware, it laid the groundwork for a follow-on contract for another 15 cargo missions and counting.
The return of Dragon flights to pad 40 was made possible thanks to the construction and certification of a crew access tower that has been going through construction and checkouts for more than a year. Some of the final pieces that came into place were the addition of the crew access arm, which was added in November 2023, and the emergency egress system, which was tested in late February and early March of 2024.
There was some thought that the first crewed launch using the new tower would be the third private astronaut mission to the ISS in conduction with Axiom Space (Ax-3), but that didnt bear out.
Walker noted that she personally has been with SpaceXs Cargo and Crew Program since 2011, a year before SpaceXs first Dragon flight to the ISS. She said it was wonderful to see Dragon flights return to pad 40 after a more than four-year hiatus.
On many of the early CRS flights in the years that followed [the first launch] I was loading cargo into Dragon right here on pad 40, Walker said. It was incredibly nostalgic for me to see the rocket and spacecraft roll to the pad on those old stomping grounds early [Tuesday] morning.
Back then, we loaded cargo while the vehicle was still horizontal using a mobile cleanroom before we would take the vehicle vertical for launch, she added. But thanks to this new, state-of-the-art crew tower, required for our human spaceflight missions, that late load cargo operation got a massive upgrade too.
The new cache of science heading up to the ISS will support a busy schedule for the members of Expedition 70 mission, soon to become Expedition 71. The Crew-8 astronauts recently arrived at the space station and will conduct about 200 experiments during their six-month stay at the orbiting outpost.
One of the highlighted experiments heading up to low Earth orbit is known as the Multi-resolution Scanner (MRS) payload, a new addition to the Astrobee free-flying robot currently on station. The experiment, performed in coordination with Boeing and Australias national science agency, CSIRO, will test the creation of 3D maps within the ISS. Its also one of several experiments being sponsored in part by the ISS National Lab.
This team has big plans for future applications in spaceflight. If it works well inside the ISS, this technology could be developed to use for scanning of exterior hull damage on the ISS or other space stations as well as lunar and martian surface scanning, Parris said.
The CRS-30 flight continues the extensive research into plant biology in microgravity. Another experiment flying to the ISS is called C4 Photosynthesis in Space (APEX-09). Its described as a system of using two types of grasses, C3 and C4, to help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and add oxygen.
Plants respond to stressful conditions based on their genetic makeup and the environment, said Pubudu Handakumbura, principal investigator with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in a statement. We aim to uncover the molecular changes involved in plants exposed to spaceflight stressors and develop an understanding of the mechanisms of photosynthesis in space.
There are also many other experiments flying, including research involving cellular and microbiology; crystal growth, astrophysics human research and material science, Parris said. She said there is also plenty of fresh food and other goodies heading up to the astronauts.
A fresh food kit contains some citrus, apples, and cherry tomatoes. They have two coffee kits, which I think I would be probably be the most excited about, said Kristi Duplichen, the deputy manager of NASAs International Space Station Transportation Integration Office. The crew requested those, so were making sure that we get them some fresh coffee.
Some of the more temperature-sensitive foods and experiments were loaded as late as possible, which for a Cargo Dragon mission is about 24 hours prior to the planned liftoff, according to Walker.
The CRS-30 mission was just one of four rockets scheduled to launch around the globe on Thursday and in fact. It was also not the only mission intending to head up to the space station.
At 1:27 a.m. ET (0527 UTC), the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched the second batch of Yunhai-2 military weather satellites on a Long March 2D/YT-3 rocket.
That was followed at 3:25 a.m. ET (0725 UTC), Rocket Lab launched its fourth mission to date from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Spaceport Authoritys Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), which is located within NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The mission, called Live & Fly or NROL-123, carried a classified payload to orbit on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office.
That mission was supposed to be followed by the launch of the crewed Soyuz MS-25 flight to the space station with three passengers onboard, including NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, who will be making her third trip to space. Liftoff from the Baikanor Cosmodrome scrubbed 20 seconds before T-0 at 9:21 a.m. ET (1321 UTC).
The Soyuz is now set to launch on Saturday morning and will dock with the Russian segment of the ISS on Monday. Once aboard the station, Expedition 71 will officially begin. That spacecraft will remain docked with the station for about six months, with a return anticipated in September.
We are very busy and excited to have an extra crew on board. And then in May, we are looking forward to the launch of the first crewed Boeing test flight as well, Duplichen said. So, it is a very busy and exciting spring.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting the CRS-30 mission, tail number B1080 in the SpaceX fleet, launched for a sixth time on this flight. It previously supported the Ax-2 and Ax-3 missions for Axiom Space as well as launching the European Space Agencys (ESA) Euclid telescope and two Starlink satellite missions.
As part of the Ax-2 mission, B1080 became the first booster to return for a land landing following a Crew Dragon launch. Similarly, about eight minutes after liftoff, B1080 touched down at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Cargo Dragon spacecraft flying the CRS-30 mission, tail number C209, is making its fourth journey to the ISS. It previously clew the CRS-22, CRS-24 and CRS-27 missions.
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SpaceX is about to hit another round-number milestone.
Elon Musk's company will launch its 30th contracted cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA on Thursday (March 21), if all goes according to plan.
A robotic SpaceX Dragon capsule is scheduled to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. You'll be able to watch the action live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA.
Related: SpaceX Dragon cargo ship docks at ISS with laser experiment and more (video)
The mission, known as CRS-30 ("Commercial Resupply Services-30"), will arrive at the ISS on Saturday morning (March 23), delivering food, supplies, equipment and a variety of scientific experiments to the orbiting lab.
Among those investigations are studies of "plant metabolismin space and a set ofnew sensorsfor free-flying Astrobee robots to provide 3D-mapping capabilities," NASA officials wrote in an update on Friday afternoon (March 15).
"Other research includes a fluid physics study that could benefit solar cell technology and auniversity projectfrom CSA (Canadian Space Agency) that will monitor sea ice and ocean conditions," they added.
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CRS-30's Dragon will spend about a month attached to the ISS before coming back to Earth with a splashdown off the Florida coast.
Dragon is the only robotic ISS cargo craft capable of coming down in one piece (and hauling science gear from the station to researchers here on Earth). The other two operational freighters, Russia's Progress vehicle and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus, are designed to burn up in Earth's atmosphere when their orbital time is up.
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SpaceX to launch 30th cargo mission to the ISS for NASA this week - Space.com