SpaceX has launched its 33rd resupply mission to the International Space Station, carrying a Dragon capsule loaded with equipment and supplies, including an add-on thruster kit to help maintain the station’s altitude. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 2:45 a.m. ET, followed by a 29-hour rendezvous with the orbiting laboratory complex.
The cargo ship will dock at the ISS’s forward port on Monday morning, bringing over 2,400 pounds of crew supplies, nearly 1,000 pounds of science gear, and 1,300 pounds of space station hardware. The mission includes a new study on microgravity effects, a 3D metal printer, and an experiment on bioprinting.
The Dragon capsule also carries a boost kit that will help sustain the ISS’s altitude starting in September. This system consists of two Draco engines, six propellant tanks, and helium to pressurize it. The boost kit will provide about a quarter of the propulsion needed in one year to maintain the station’s 260-mile-high altitude.
The launch marks an important milestone for NASA, which will celebrate its 25th year of continuous human presence on the ISS in November. Over this quarter century, the space agency has hosted over 280 residents and enabled more than 4,000 scientific experiments, benefiting researchers from over 110 countries worldwide.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-launches-cargo-delivery-mission-international-space-station