NASA and SpaceX monitored operations as the company’s Dragon spacecraft performed its first demonstration of reboost capabilities for the International Space Station at 12:50 p.m. EST on Friday. The spacecraft’s Draco thrusters adjusted the station’s orbit by increasing altitude at apogee by 7/100 of a mile and decreasing altitude at perigee by 7/10 of a mile.
This test marks an essential step for NASA’s International Space Station Program, as it enables multiple spacecraft to provide reboost and attitude control capabilities. Currently, the Roscosmos Progress spacecraft and Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft also serve this purpose.
The SpaceX Dragon recently delivered over 6,000 pounds of supplies to the space station, which launched on Nov. 4 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This was the 31st commercial resupply services mission for NASA.
The International Space Station has served as a critical testbed for NASA’s long-duration spaceflight and expansion of low Earth orbit opportunities for over two decades. The space station will play a crucial role in developing a low Earth economy and supporting future missions to the Moon and Mars under Artemis and human exploration initiatives.
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Source: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2024/11/08/dragon-spacecraft-boosts-station-for-first-time