When is the scheduled launch date and time for Dragon’s spacewalks?
What is Dragon?
Dragon is a spacecraft developed by SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk. The Dragon spacecraft is capable of carrying both crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS).
What is Happening?
Dragon is currently undergoing final preparations for its next mission, CRS-22, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 3, 2021, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
CRS-22 is a cargo resupply mission to the ISS, and Dragon will be carrying a variety of supplies, equipment and scientific experiments for the six astronauts currently on board the orbiting laboratory.
What are some of the Experiments on Board?
- A study to explore how microgravity affects the function of a protein responsible for tumor suppression and DNA repair.
- An investigation to study the effects of spaceflight on heart cells that were derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of healthy individuals and those with heart disease.
- The first commercial airlock on the ISS, designed and built by Nanoracks, which will enable private companies to deploy small satellites and other payloads from the station.
What is a Spacewalk?
A spacewalk, also known as an EVA (extravehicular activity), is when an astronaut exits the spacecraft and works outside in the vacuum of space. Spacewalks are typically conducted to perform maintenance, repairs or upgrades on the ISS or other spacecraft.
During the CRS-22 mission, two NASA astronauts will conduct two spacewalks to install and deploy new solar arrays on the ISS. These new arrays will provide more power to support the growing number of commercial and international partner experiments on the station.
Conclusion
The countdown to the launch of Dragon for the CRS-22 mission is underway, and soon it will be delivering supplies and conducting experiments on the ISS. Additionally, the spacewalks to install new solar arrays will provide more power to support the important work being done on the station. As always, we look forward to the exciting discoveries and advancements that will come from these endeavors.