MARIEMER, Fla. – An unmanned cargo of Dragon capsule will splash Monday night about 12 hours after departure from the International Space Station along the Florida coast.
The SpaceX capsule, which will be loaded with 5,200 pounds of scientific experiments and other cargo, will disconnect from the ISS at 9:25 p.m.
“Dragon will fire its archers to move a safe distance from the station’s space direction gate of the Harmony module, and then launch a deorbit burn to launch its re-entry series into Earth’s atmosphere,” according to NASA .
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Dragon is expected to make its parachute-assisted expanse at 21:00 – the first return of a cargo ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX Cargo Dragon docks at the ISS
The Dragon capsule brings supplies for the crew to the International Space Station, including holiday treats.
“By splashing off the coast of Florida, science can be quickly transported aboard the capsule to the Kennedy Space Center’s processing facility for space stations and back into the hands of scientists,” NASA said.
Dragon launched a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 6, arriving at the station just over 24 hours later and the first autonomous dock of a US commercial cargo space spacecraft. reach. This represents the 21st mission to deliver services to NASA.
SpaceX Dragon supply capsule at the International Space Station. (SpaceX)
Previous oncoming cargo Dragon spacecraft were captured and attached to the space station by astronauts who operated the station’s robot Canadarm2. The spacecraft delivered more than 6,400 pounds of hardware, research surveys and crew supplies.
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