NASA and its international partners are gearing up for a significant event as a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft prepares to return from the International Space Station (ISS). This Dragon will bring back important scientific samples and hardware on February 26.
You can tune in to the live coverage of this event starting at 11:45 a.m. EST via NASA+, Amazon Prime, and NASA’s YouTube channel. The spacecraft will autonomously undock from the station at 12:05 p.m., then safely retreat before splashdown later that night off the California coast around 11:44 p.m. PST. While NASA won’t stream the splashdown live, they’ll keep everyone updated on their space station blog.
What’s on board? Here are some highlights:
Material Studies: The Euro Material Ageing study involves samples that have been exposed to space for a year. This research focuses on how various materials, including coatings and 3D-printed objects, degrade in space. Insights from this could lead to sturdier spacecraft and better electronic devices.
Health Research: The Stellar Stem Cells Mission 2 is investigating how microgravity affects the growth of brain and heart stem cells. This could enhance treatments for diseases like ALS and Parkinson’s.
Innovative Instruments: The SpaceDuino project is pushing boundaries by successfully measuring vibrations with low-cost tools. Plus, the Moon Microscope has tested a portable diagnostic kit that could aid future missions by enabling blood analysis in space.
During its time at the ISS, the Dragon spacecraft also performed six reboost maneuvers, which are crucial for maintaining the station’s altitude against atmospheric drag.
The ISS has been continuously occupied for over 25 years, making it a hub for scientific research that can’t happen on Earth. As commercial companies expand human transportation services in low Earth orbit, NASA is focusing its efforts on deep space missions, particularly through its Artemis program, which paves the way for future astronaut trips to Mars.
For the latest updates from the ISS, follow their journeys on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
Learn more about the research being conducted at the ISS on NASA’s official station webpage.
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Commercial Resupply, International Space Station (ISS), ISS Research, SpaceX Commercial Resupply
