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SpaceX’s next mission to the International Space Station will take place on August 28, NASA confirmed today, with the lineup coming shortly after rival Boeing failed to launch its Starliner. This is the 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission, with SpaceX having the state-of-the-art process at this point as it loads the Dragon spacecraft with supplies and science experiments.
This will see SpaceX mount the Dragon on top of a Falcon 9 rocket, positioned at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Assuming everything goes according to plan, takeoff is scheduled for 3:37 a.m. EDT on Saturday, August 28.
It’s a reminder, if Boeing needed it, that NASA’s commercial crew program is moving forward without it. Boeing had wanted to demonstrate that its Starliner CST-100 spacecraft could reach the ISS, dock successfully, and then return to Earth, but the OFT-2 mission that was due to launch earlier this month had to be cleaned up at last moment. Problems with the spacecraft’s valves forced Boeing to return the Starliner to the factory, to try and figure out what is causing strange corrosion inside the propulsion system.
As for what SpaceX will bring to the ISS, it’s a bumper crop of science experiments and more. For example, there is a new microgravity robotic arm developed by GITAI Japan, which will be placed inside the pressurized Bishop airlock. If all goes according to plan, the new arm will be part of a complete robot design, which could someday work on spacecraft, space stations or closer to home, such as in environments on the high seas.
Another experiment will focus on implantable and remote-controlled drug delivery systems. Developed by Faraday-NICE, if the system works, it could become an alternative to infusion pumps as they are currently in use: they are prone to electromechanical failures and double dosing, among other issues. NICE, on the other hand, has no moving mechanical components and is minimally invasive.
The Materials-15-NASA International Space Station experiment, meanwhile, will examine how different materials and components might be affected by low Earth orbit. NASA is investigating how the performance and durability of things like concrete, spacecraft materials, fiberglass composites, thin-film solar cells, and radiation shielding materials might be affected. If all goes according to plan, these materials could be used in future satellites, telescopes, space stations, planetary bases, etc.
One of the most unexpected things aboard the SpaceX Dragon will be an eye test for the astronauts. Developed by Retinal Diagnostics, it is intended to look for signs of neuro-ocular space associated syndrome (SANS), which is thought to be caused by a prolonged stay in space. While corrective glasses may solve the problem, with the prospect of longer missions, such as crewed missions to Mars, a way to determine eye care will be needed. The same technology, the company points out, could also be used for more accessible healthcare on Earth.
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