NASA and SpaceX are preparing the 35th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. According to NASA, the launch is targeted for no earlier than October.
The final IROSA arrays
Besides food, supplies and equipment for the crew, Dragon will deliver the final sets of the International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, called IROSA. Astronauts will install them during future spacewalks to complete the station's power augmentation. NASA says the additional power will support critical station operations, including its safe and controlled deorbit.
Science on board
- Hardware to manufacture artificial retinas in microgravity, which could help restore vision for patients on Earth.
- 3D heart cell models to advance large scale drug testing on future space missions.
- Materials to study how a new type of glass forms in microgravity.
Why cargo logistics matter
Commercial resupply missions from US companies give NASA a national capability to deliver research and supplies to the station. The delivery of the last IROSA arrays is also a step towards the end of the station's life: the extra power supports operations up to and including the controlled deorbit. The cargo supply model developed for the ISS is expected to carry over to the commercial stations that will follow it.
Related reading
- How Do Crew and Supplies Get to the ISS? The Space Station Supply Chain Explained
- After the ISS: Who Is Building the Commercial Space Stations?
- NASA Names the SpaceX Crew-14 Crew for the International Space Station
Sources
Cover image: A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the International Space Station. Credit: NASA (iss073e0734903), public domain.