Space.com by Amy Thompson 8/29/2021
The robotic Dragon will arrive at the station on Monday morning
SpaceX launched its 21st rocket of the year today (Aug 29), sending a robotic Dragon cargo capsule toward the International Space Station (ISS) before nailing a landing at sea.
A two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Launch Complex 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 3:14 a.m. EDT (0714 GMT), kicking off the company's 23rd cargo resupply mission to the orbiting lab for NASA. The Dragon is packed with more than 4,800 pounds (2,200 kilograms) of supplies, scientific experiments and hardware, including a new robotic arm that will be tested inside the space station's Bishop Airlock.
A little less than eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth, landing on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean in a smooth touchdown. The massive ship, called "A Shortfall of Gravitas," is the newest of three drone ships in the company's fleet of recovery vessels that catch falling boosters and return them to port for later reuse.
"That is the 90th successful landing of an orbital class rocket and the very first for our newest drone ship, 'A Shortfall of Gravitas,'" Andy Tran of SpaceX said during a webcast of this morning's launch. "What a great way to start today's mission."
Cargo haulThe newly launched cargo Dragon is carrying a treasure trove of science investigations to the orbital outpost, including a new robotic arm that will be tested out inside the station's newest airlock. As part of a technology demonstration, the robotic arm will flip switches and push buttons in an attempt to prove it has what it takes to carry out routine astronaut tasks.
Also on board are a variety of medical payloads that will help benefit astronauts as well as people on Earth. One such payload, called the Nanofluidic Implant Communication Experiment (NICE), will test out a new drug-delivery device. The tiny implant could change the way people receive their medication and manage chronic illnesses.
More:
https://www.space.com/spacex-dragon-crs-23-nasa-cargo-launch-success
