The SpaceX Dragon cargo ship, full of science experiments, the case of wine and living mice made the first splash in the Atlantic, NASA confirmed.
The spacecraft automatically unlocked from the International Space Station on Tuesday, Jan. 12, after 36 days stuck to the orbiting laboratory.
Among the experiments on board were Bordeaux wine crates, live mice and 3D-printed eyes, capable of producing human organs from stem cells in a day.
In total, there was 4,400 pounds of scientific research and other cargo splashed in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s west coast as of 1:30 am GMT this morning.
This photo provided by NASA shows SpaceX’s Dragon being detached from the International Space Station on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.
Earlier, SpaceX’s dragon cargo mission was completed with a parachute helping to splash the Pacific Ocean. But the new spacecraft is designed to land close to NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This is where the space agency processes scientific experiments conducted on the International Space Station – thus splashing the Atlantic for the first time.
SpaceX Dragon is designed as a reusable spacecraft capable of safely delivering equipment and cargo to the International Space Station, as well as returning science experiments to Earth.
“ The upgraded cargo Dragon capsule used for this mission has twice the drivetrain lockers than the previous capsule, resulting in a significant increase in research that can be returned to scientists. Yes, ‘NASA said.
‘Some scientists will quickly get their research back four to nine hours after the splash’
This is the first time a science experiment from the space station has been able to make a return through Florida since the space shuttle ceased service in 2011.
This image shows some of the goods that were loaded on the Dragon when it traveled to the International Space Station last year. Can be stored in a cold room more than the original Dragon.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins is next to the storage of the SpaceX CRS-9 cargo Dragon in 2016.The new cargo spacecraft has more powered locker space, providing additional cool storage.
To return to Earth, the experiments had to travel by capsules, helicopters, ships, planes and cars before returning to the researchers to design them.
“ I am finally excited to see science back here as we can bring these time-critical experiments into the lab much faster than ever before. ‘Said Jennifer Wahlberg, Utilization Program Manager at the Kennedy Space Center.
‘Sending science into space and getting it up again on the runway is a sure thing in the shuttle days we’re proud of, and it’s great to be back in the process.’
As the spacecraft returned to Earth, the experiment again began to suffer from the effects of gravity, NASA explains in a blog post.
There are processes involved in experimenting from floating capsules back to universities, companies and other institutions.
NASA describes the process as’ after the SpaceX ship lifted the capsule out of the water, the waiting team pulled the time-critical science out of the spacecraft and loaded it into a waiting helicopter.
‘The helicopter will send this science to shore a few hours after the splash. The rest of the scientific cargo can be returned in a second helicopter or on a boat and taken off at port.
The helicopter will conduct experiments at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), previously used for space shuttle return activities.
The crew then moves most of the cargo to the Kennedy Space Center Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) on a truck where the science team will be waiting.
‘We are going to have a parade of researchers ready at the Kennedy Space Center waiting for samples,’ said the Utilization Flight from Kennedy’s Office of Research, lead Mary Walsh.
The spacecraft left the International Space Station on Tuesday and after some delays finally knocked out the Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic Ocean this morning.
Much is involved in returning scientific experiments to scientists, including ship, helicopter and automobile deliveries.
Traditionally used to prepare experiments for launch into space, the SSPF is home to a world-class laboratory with tools and workspaces to instantly take data and analyze samples, the space agency explains.
‘Scientists will quickly check to get the initial results and send them back to their home base,’ said Wahlberg.
‘The benefit of being able to observe previous science is the ability to negate the effects of gravity on research after it has been in space.’
From the center at the Kennedy Space Center, scientific experiments and samples will head to California, Texas, Massachusetts, Japan, and more.
Much of the science returning to Earth on this mission is made possible by upgrading to the SpaceX Cargo Dragon spacecraft, which has more locker-powered capabilities than the company’s previous capsules.
The rat research hardware system is one return to Earth experiment – it consists of three modules: (left) habitat (center), transporter, and (right) animal access unit.
Another experiment found a case of wine sent to the International Space Station for more than a year in orbit, the experiment will be conducted in February and study changes in the amount of bubbles.
On the other hand, it can accommodate up to 12 powered lockers, allowing for more refrigerated cargo and additional payload power.
‘Old capsules are like donuts filled with cream. You keep everything around the wall, then in the middle we put a big pile of bags, ‘Walsh said.
‘This upgraded cargo dragon is like a three-story house. You put your stuff in the basement, then you pick up the second story, then you go upstairs and stuff the third story. So it’s really different from a design perspective. ‘
The next SpaceX Dragon cargo mission will take place in May, and the Dragon Capsule crew docked against the space station is scheduled to return four crew members in May.
Before that, another Dragon spacecraft will be launched in March to send four more astronauts up to the orbiting laboratory.
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