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A SpaceX supply ship made its way through the atmosphere over the southeastern United States Thursday night and splashed into the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida, returning home with 2 , 3 tons of research specimens and cargo from the International Space Station.
The night re-entry closed a 14-hour flight from the space station that began with an automated undocking of the complex at 9:12 a.m. EDT (1312 GMT) on Thursday. The Cargo Dragon spacecraft moved away from the research outpost using pulses from its Draco thrusters.
Astronauts inside the space station monitored the departure, ending the 23rd SpaceX cargo ship’s 23rd replenishment visit to the complex since 2012.
“I would like to warmly thank SpaceX and the NASA teams for delivering this vehicle to us in great shape with lots of science and supplies for the ISS,” Astronaut Shane Kimbrough said from the space station. “The activities associated with SpaceX-23 have kept our crew busy for the past month.
“We look forward to hearing the results of the payloads we interacted with,” said Kimbrough. “Have a good trip back to Earth. “
The Cargo Dragon capsule circled the Earth all day before its flight path aligned with the re-entry corridor targeting the main mission recovery area in the Atlantic Ocean about 65 kilometers away. east of St. Augustine, Florida.
The Dragon spacecraft fired its Draco thrusters for nearly 10 minutes from 10:06 p.m. EDT (02:06 GMT), slowing the speed of the capsule just enough for Earth’s gravity to pull it back into the atmosphere.
Flying at about 5 miles per second, the spacecraft encountered the upper fringes of the atmosphere at 10:45 p.m. EDT (02:45 GMT).
A SpaceX supply ship made its way through the atmosphere over the southeastern United States Thursday night and splashed into the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida, returning home with 2 , 3 tons of experiments and cargo from the International Space Station. https://t.co/PjkR7L7Uce pic.twitter.com/UxkGay14JJ
– Spaceflight now (@SpaceflightNow) October 1, 2021
Temperatures outside the capsule climbed to nearly 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,900 degrees Celsius). The superheated plasma followed the 13-foot-wide (4-meter) spacecraft as aerodynamic forces dampened Dragon’s speed.
The nocturnal re-entry was visible throughout the Southeastern United States, along and on either side of the spacecraft’s ground track. Sightings have been reported from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
It was the first night landing of a Dragon capsule in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX’s previous nocturnal re-entries, which are more noticeable than daylight descents, were aimed at landings in the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.
Four main parachutes were scheduled to deploy a few minutes before the landing, which was scheduled for 22:57 EDT (0257 GMT).
SpaceX, working under a commercial resupply contract with NASA, confirmed a successful splash in a tweet, ending that spacecraft’s second trip to the space station.
The company’s “Go Searcher” recovery vessel was positioned in the Atlantic Ocean to hoist the capsule onto its deck, allowing crews to open the hatch and unload the time-sensitive cargo for delivery by helicopter to ships. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center science labs.
The salvage ship will transport the spacecraft to Port Canaveral, then SpaceX will move the capsule to a refurbishment facility at the Cape Canaveral space force station. Workers will unpack the rest of the cargo there and prepare the spacecraft for another flight to the space station.
Undocking confirmed.
SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft pulls away from the International Space Station, concluding a 31-day sojourn and heading for a landing tonight in the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida. co / 3ojSTfzdUS pic.twitter.com/aZzvZQfYkM
– Spaceflight now (@SpaceflightNow) September 30, 2021
The Cargo Dragon spacecraft returned to Earth with about 4,600 pounds (2.3 tons; 2.1 metric tons) of cargo, according to NASA. The shipment included frozen experimental specimens, including cultures from a Japanese anti-atrophy investigation of biomaterials that could slow muscle loss in space.
The capsule also came back with biomedical samples in cold docking for a research investigation into how spaceflight induces changes in liver gene expression, which may affect how the body metabolizes drugs. Scientists say the experiment could help develop new treatments that can explain the human body’s adaptations to spaceflight.
Another experiment brought home by Cargo Dragon examined the behavior of liquids in microgravity containers.
Cargo Dragon also splashed with connector caps and plugs used on spacewalks over the summer to install new solar panels outside the space station. The material will be stored and re-launched for use on future trips to the solar panel installation space.
The Cargo Dragon mission, designated CRS-23, was launched on August 29 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on top of a Falcon 9 rocket, and docked at the station the next day.
The unmanned cargo capsule carried 4,866 pounds (2,207 kilograms) of supplies and experiments to the space station as it climbed its mission.
SpaceX’s next Cargo Dragon resupply mission is slated to launch in December.
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