NASA launches 6,500 lb cargo to ISS

NASA and SpaceX launched the CRS-34 cargo mission on Friday, May 15, carrying about 6,500 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies and station hardware to the International Space Station. NASA said the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. (nasa.gov) The flight is SpaceX’s 34th commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for NASA. Dragon is scheduled to dock autonomously with the station at about 7 a.m. (nasa.gov) EDT on Sunday, May 17, at the forward port of the Harmony module. ### Why was this launch drawing extra attention before liftoff? (nasa.gov) Wednesday, May 13, brought another weather delay after NASA and SpaceX stood down from a previous launch attempt because of anvil cloud violations around Cape Canaveral. NASA then reset the mission for 6:05 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 15, saying the new opportunity allowed teams to refresh cargo packed inside Dragon and preserve the phasing needed for station arrival. The CRS-34 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services program, which uses private U.S. spacecraft to move cargo, experiments and equipment to the station. NASA’s mission page lists SpaceX as the partner for the flight and gives the launch time as 6:05 p.m. (nasa.gov) EDT on May 15. ### What exactly is inside the 6,500-pound shipment? NASA said Dragon is carrying new research investigations along with provisions and hardware for the Expedition 74 crew. The agency’s mission overview and launch advisory say the manifest totals about 6,500 pounds. (nasa.gov) Among the experiments, NASA said ODYSSEY will test how well Earth-based microgravity simulators reproduce space conditions. Green Bone will study how bone cells grow on a wood-based scaffold in microgravity, work NASA said could support research into treatments for fragile bone conditions such as osteoporosis. SPARK will examine how red blood cells and the spleen change in space. (nasa.gov) NASA also said STORIE will monitor charged particles around Earth that respond to space weather and can affect satellites and power grids. Another investigation, Laplace, will study dust-particle motion and collisions in microgravity to probe how planets form, while a separate instrument will measure sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon with high accuracy. (nasa.gov) ### Which spacecraft and rocket are flying this mission? SpaceX said the Dragon capsule assigned to CRS-34 is flying for the sixth time after earlier missions CRS-22, CRS-24, CRS-27, CRS-30 and CRS-32. The company also said the Falcon 9 first-stage booster on this mission is making its sixth flight. (nasa.gov) Following stage separation, SpaceX said the booster was set to return to Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The company’s mission profile says Dragon then begins orbit activation, phasing burns and final approach operations before docking with the station. ### How does Dragon get from launch pad to station hatch? (nasa.gov) SpaceX said Dragon’s trip to the station takes about 36 hours. During that flight, the spacecraft performs a series of orbit-raising burns, establishes communications with the station and then begins an autonomous approach along the docking axis. NASA said the spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the forward port of Harmony, one of the station’s U.S. segment docking locations. (spacex.com) After docking, the vestibule is pressurized, the hatch is opened and the crew begins unloading research and supplies, according to SpaceX’s mission sequence. ### What happens after Dragon arrives? NASA said the spacecraft is expected to remain at the station until mid-June. The agency said Dragon will then depart with time-sensitive research and cargo and return to Earth for a splashdown off the coast of California. (spacex.com) Sunday, May 17, is the next key milestone. NASA said live rendezvous and docking coverage will begin at 5:30 a.m. EDT on NASA+, with autonomous docking targeted for about 7 a.m. EDT at the Harmony module’s forward port. (nasa.gov 1) (nasa.gov 2)