SpaceX launches Dragon 2 from Florida’s Space Coast
On December 6, 2020 a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a Dragon 2 capsule on its first resupply mission to the International Space Station. Lift off was 11:17. a.m. EST from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from Launch Complex 39A. This mission will be conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA, by SpaceX. This will be Dragon 2’s first cargo resupply mission to the space station and the 21st mission by SpaceX under contract with NASA.
Photo:theresacross spaceflightinsider.com
Dragon 2 made history on May 30, 2020 launching American astronauts from American soil on the spacecraft to the ISS from LC-39A on Florida’s Space Coast at NASA Kennedy. The capsule, also known as Endeavor, docked with the International Space Station on May 31, 2020. This will be the fourth flight for SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage B1058 who’s flight heritage includes Demo 2, ANASIS-II, and Starlink twelve. Additionally, this is the first time SpaceX plans to launch a NASA payload on a booster that has previously flown more than once. Another first for the company will be the first Phase 2 flight under the contract awarded by NASA, January 2016 which also includes a preference that the Dragon 2 splash down in the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of Florida rather than the recovery zone in the Pacific off the coast of California.
The newer design of Cargo Dragon can be used up to five times according to SpaceX and will launch without controls, seats and life support systems making it a much quicker process to recover and refurbish as opposed to the previous Dragon CRS capsules. CRS-21 will be a 30 day mission to the space station with plans for 60 day missions and beyond commencing with CRS-23 as indicated in the most recent Flight Planning Integration Panel (FPIP) document filed.
The spacecraft will deliver research studies on how space conditions affect the interaction between microbes and minerals among other science investigations.
photo: z.shaul theresacrossphotography: iconic pad 39A, NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Photo: NASA
