SpaceX launches the SpX-27 to the ISS
- Karthik Naren
- Mar 16, 2023
- 8 min read
Freighter will dock at the International Space Station tomorrow
SpaceX's reusable cargo spacecraft, Cargo Dragon C209, launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 8:30 pm Eastern Time. The launch used Falcon 9 v1.2 BL 5 rocket number B1073.7 as part of the CRS-27 mission was carried out from Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The spacecraft was placed into an orbit with an apogee of 208 km, a perigee of 194 km, a period of 88.51 minutes and inclined 51.64 degrees. The docking is scheduled for tomorrow, the 16th, at 7:52 am EDT, in the PMA-2 coupling compartment in the nose of the American module Harmony.
After separation, the first stage of Falcon 9 B1073 landed on the drone raft A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean, 668 km from the coast, alongside the support vessel Doug.
This is SpaceX's seventh flight to the ISS in the modified Cargo Dragon 2, which is capable of delivering 20% more cargo and can also dock autonomously without the help of grabbing it with a manipulator arm compared to the first V1 version. . The new reusable craft are designed for five round-trip flights to the ISS instead of three as part of previous Dragon freighter missions. They can remain at the station for 75 days, against 40 days in the previous option. From October 2012 to December 2022, SpaceX performed 26 launches of Cargo Dragons to the ISS. One of them (in 2015) ended in failure due to the failure of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
The spacecraft will deliver more than three tons of supplies, equipment and materials for dozens of scientific experiments by its crew, and takes several cubesats to be ejected: STP-H9, ARKSAT 1 1U from the University of Arkansas Technology, LightCube 1U from Arizona State University, Ex -Alta 2 3U for thermospheric research from the University of Alberta, AuroraSat 2U from Aurora College, YukonSat 2U for thermospheric research from Yukon College, and the NEUDOSE 2U from McMaster University, these from Canada.
This was the seventh flight of the B1073 'core' first stage which previously launched the Hispasat Amazonas Nexus satellites, SES-22, ispace mission 1 HAKUTO-R and three batches of Starlink satellites. After separation will land CRS-27 is the third flight of this spacecraft, which previously flew CRS-22 and CRS-24 missions to the station.
LAUNCH, LANDING OF THE 'CORE' AND SPACESHIP DEPLOYMENT
All approximate times
hh:min:ss Event
00:00:00 Take off
00:01:12 Max Q (moment of maximum mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:28 Cutting of the 1st stage engines (MECO)
00 :02:30 Separate 1st and 2nd stages
00:02:35 The 2nd stage engine lights up
00:02:38 1st stage boostback ignition starts
00:03:12 1st stage boostback ignition completed
00:05:44 1st stage re-entry ignition starts
00:06:01 End of re-entry ignition
00:07:06 Start of 1st stage landing ignition
00:07:36 1st stage landing
00:08:38 2nd stage engine cut (SECO-1)
00:11:34 Spacecraft separates from 2nd stage
00:12:22 Nose canopy opening sequence starts
Payloads transported
The cargo (2,800 kg) transported includes projects from students who had the opportunity to carry out their experiments on the ISS as part of the DLR's Überflieger 2 competition and studies by NASA's Glenn Research Center. Among them are the Research projects:
FARGO (Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital) from the Small Satellite Student Society of the University of Stuttgart (KSateV) BRAINS (Biological research using artificial intelligence for neuroscience in space)
ADDONISS (Aging and Degenerative Diseases of Neurons on the ISS)
Research and activities of the European Space Agency (ESA):
BIOFILMS (Biofilm Inhibition On Flight equipment and on the ISS using microbiologically Lethal Metal Surfaces) experiment that investigates the formation of bacterial biofilm and antimicrobial properties of different metallic surfaces under space flight conditions in altered gravity.
Cardinal Heart – The first Cardinal Heart experiment conducted aboard the space station showed that four weeks of exposure to microgravity can cause significant changes in heart cell function and gene expression. The researchers concluded that these changes can lead to long-term medical problems. The Cardinal Heart 2.0 experiment builds on these results, using heart organoids, 3D structures made up of all the different types of cells in a given organ, to test whether clinically approved drugs reduce these microgravity-induced changes in heart cell function. The results could support the development of effective drug combinations to improve the health of astronauts and patients on Earth.
Engineered Heart Tissues-2 – This study continues work with 3D-cultured heart muscle tissue to assess human heart function in microgravity. Previous work with 3D cultures in space has detected changes at the cellular and tissue level that could provide an early indication of the development of heart disease. This investigation tests whether new therapies prevent these adverse effects of spaceflight from occurring. The model used in this study has potential use in drug development and other applications related to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disorders on Earth.
Cardinal Heart 2.0 and Engineered Heart Tissues-2 are the latest two experiments to comprise the initiative of the National Institutes for Health and the ISS National Lab's Tissue Chips in Space. The researchers hope to learn more about the impact of microgravity on human health and disease and translate this understanding to improve human health.
HUNCH Ball Clamp Monopod – The NASA High School Students Unite with NASA to Create Equipment (HUNCH) program allows students to make real-world products for NASA while applying their skills in science, technology, engineering and math. The HUNCH Ball Clamp Monopod attempts to address astronauts' comments about the difficulty of positioning video or photo cameras in the middle of a module. The student-made design consists of an aluminum pedestal equipped with a camera shoe and a ball clamp that attaches to a standard space station handrail. The circular clamp serves as a turntable for photography and video.
CapiSorb Visible System – Because microgravity makes it difficult to control the flow of liquids, the space station has not been able to take advantage of carbon dioxide removal methods that use specialized liquids. Liquid-based carbon dioxide removal systems, such as those on submarines, offer greater efficiency than other types of systems. The CapiSorb Visible System study demonstrates liquid control using capillary forces, the interaction of a liquid with a solid that can pull a fluid through a narrow tube, characteristic of liquids that can absorb carbon dioxide. This is an important consideration for future long-duration space missions, where efficiency will support crews for many months or years.
Tanpopo-5 – The JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Tanpopo-5 investigation studies the origin, transport and survival of life in space and on extraterrestrial planets such as Mars. The study focuses on exposing radioresistant bacteria, which are resistant to radiation, and moss sporophytes, an important part of the life cycle of some plants, to the harsh environment of space using the exposed experiment stand attached to the I-SEEP facility ( ExBAS). mounted on the outside of the station. The results are helping to answer key questions of the "panspermia" hypothesis, a theory for the beginning of life on Earth and the transport of life between celestial bodies.
CubeSats planned to launch on this mission:
NEUDOSE
The McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team's NEUtron DOSimetry & Exploration (NEUDOSE) mission aims to deepen our understanding of long-term exposure to space radiation by investigating how charged and neutral particles contribute to the equivalent human dose during low Earth orbit (LEO) missions. NEUDOSE is a 2U CubeSat built by students at McMaster University. The project objectives are:
Demonstrate the Charged & Neutral Particle Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (CNP-TEPC) instrument, which allows the discrimination of the dose of charged and neutral particles in real time. Map the contribution of dose rates from charged and neutral particles in low orbit.
Northern Spirit
Three CubeSat satellites built as part of the Northern Space Program for Innovative Research and Integrated Training (Northern SPIRIT). These CubeSats are a collaboration between the University of Yukon, the Aurora Research Institute in the Northwest Territories and the University of Alberta. This initiative is supported by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as part of the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP). The three satellites' main objective is to collect data from the magnetic field of the ionosphere to study currents aligned with the field on a small scale.
Ex-Alta 2 : A CubeSat 3U built by students from the AlbertaSat student organization at the University of Alberta. The main mission is to obtain scientific data for research and prevention of forest fires. Additionally, it is designed to further the long-term goal of a fully open source satellite and the development of Albertan's commercial space industry.
AuroraSAT and YukonSat : 2U CubeSats built by Aurora Research Institute and Yukon University students in collaboration with the University of Alberta, who provided the chassis for each cubesat and did the final integration of the payloads. One of the two main missions is the Northern Images Mission, which will display art on a small screen on the satellite and then take pictures of that art from space with Earth in the background. Northern Canadian children will have the opportunity to exhibit their works. Northern Voices Mission will broadcast and broadcast recordings of Northern Canadian stories and perspectives on amateur radio bands around the world.
ELaNa 50
This new device from ELaNa (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) will consist of two cubesats from American education institutes:
ARKSat-1 : CubeSat 1U developed by students at the University of Arkansas, its main mission will be to perform atmospheric measurements by detecting an LED signal on the ground in orbit. Furthermore, after the end of the mission, cubesat will make use of a Solid State Inflatable Balloon (SSIB) to increase drag and accelerate its re-entry. LightCube: 1U CubeSat developed by students at Arizona State University, carries a flash lamp that can be remotely activated by radio amateurs to produce a brief flash visible from the ground.
Other cargo (one way)
Emergency Breathing Air Assembly for Commercial Crew Vehicles (CEBAA) Flight Support Equipment (FSE) for Boeing Starliner – Contingency equipment that provides emergency response capability for Starliner spacecraft, supporting up to five crew for up to one hour during an emergency on the Space Station due to an ammonia leak.
Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) Bladder – Used to recover additional water from urine brine, these units will further support US segment water recovery and processing capacity to reduce release water requirements.
Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Electronics Box – This electronics box will upgrade the legacy ARED instrumentation box and will be used in orbit by crew members to meet their exercise needs.
Major Constituent Analyzer Equipment – Used to monitor nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and water vapor onboard the station, these orbital replacement units will provide cost-effective redundancy to protect constituent measurement in orbit.
Multifiltration Bed – Supporting the water processor assembly, this spare unit will continue the International Space Station Program's effort to replace a degraded fleet of on-orbit units that improve water quality through a single bed.
Waste and Hygiene Compartment Equipment – Critical spare equipment and consumables to provide ongoing support for in-orbit waste disposal and containment, allowing for continued crew presence on the International Space Station.
Television Camera Interface Controller – Needed to support the External Television Camera Group, this spare is being launched to ensure the redundancy of the external cameras in support of the station.
Payloads to be returned:
Nitrogen/oxygen refill system, oxygen and nitrogen refill tank assemblies – high pressure gas tanks returning to the ground to ensure future spacewalks and payload support in the 2023/2024 period.
Brine Processor Assembly Bladder – Returning with processed brine, this Exploration Development Equipment will be tested on the ground to assess the efficiency of the in-orbit Brine Processor.
Cylinder Flywheel Assembly – Supporting the ARED, this flywheel rotates to provide inertial load that mimics free weights in a zero g environment. This degraded item will be returned to the ground for refurbishment to provide long-term support for the resistance exercise device.
Urine Processor Assembly Pressure Control and Pump Assembly – This multitube purge pump allows the removal of non-condensable gas and water vapor from the distillation assembly within the larger subsystem of the Urine Processing Assembly. This unit is returning to the ground for repair and overhaul in support of the legacy Environmental Control and Life Support System fleet.
Multifiltration Bed – Supporting the WPA subsystem in orbit, this previously used unit will be returned, refurbished and upgraded for superior performance in a single bed configuration.
Ion Exchange Bed – Responsible for removing by-products from the catalytic reactor, this previously installed unit was removed from the system in May 2021. This equipment is returning for refurbishment to ensure continued on-orbit microbial control throughout the on-orbit WPA subsystem.
Functional Load Block (Zarya) Pump Panel – Contained within the Zarya module's integrated thermal cooling system, this panel provides thermal coolant circulation via two redundant pumps. The unit is being returned to investigate the source of its failure since its installation in 2022 and to inspect the internal condition of the Triol refrigerant within the pipeline.
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