Dragon docks with research cargo and solar arrays at the space station
SpaceX’s Dragon docked with the International Space Station on October 15, delivering crew supplies, research hardware and the final roll-out solar arrays. The arrival completes the journey begun with its October 13 launch. The arrays are scheduled for installation later this fall, while Dragon is due to return with research cargo in mid-November.
Science··Morning
Dragon reaches the station after its October 13 launch
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station, the crewed orbital research laboratory, on October 15. Its arrival completed the journey begun with the October 13 launch from Florida. Dragon delivered supplies and research cargo to the crew aboard the station.[1], [2]
The spacecraft attached to the space-facing port of Harmony, a connecting module of the station. This was SpaceX’s 35th commercial station resupply mission for NASA, the US space agency. The delivery brought food, supplies and equipment to the Expedition 75 crew.[1]
Solar arrays await installation later this fall
The final set of roll-out solar arrays arrived aboard Dragon. Installation on the station is scheduled for later this fall. Research hardware also includes equipment intended to manufacture artificial retinas in microgravity, with the aim of helping restore vision on Earth, and three-dimensional heart-tissue models intended to support large-scale drug testing on future missions.[1]
Dragon is scheduled to return research cargo in November
Other materials will be used to investigate formation of a new type of glass in microgravity. Brain organoids, laboratory-grown tissue models, will support research into potential treatment targets for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. Dragon is scheduled to stay until mid-November, then depart with time-critical research and other cargo and splash down off California.[1]
