#isscargo

Dragon CRS-9 arrived at the International Space Station, 58 hours after departing Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft was berthed to the Nadir, or Earth-facing port of the Harmony module at 10:03am EDT July 20th. 

At 2:27pm, the hatches between the two vehicles were opened and astronauts entered.

CYGNUS LAUNCH TONIGHT

An Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to make its way to the International Space Station tonight at 11:05 PM EST. I’ll be there snapping photos and probably shedding a single patriotic tear!

After Cygnus completes its ascent toward the ISS, crew members will capture the craft with the Space Station Robotic Manipulator System (also called the Robotic Arm) so that its contents can be loaded into the station. 

This mission is carrying the most weight of any Cygnus resupply -- about 7,500 pounds of cargo. In addition to provisions, emergency supplies, and hardware, the craft will be transporting a second portable 3D printer to the ISS. Exciting new experiments are also making their way into orbit, including adhesive devices known as “gecko grippers” that will help astronauts grapple items in space; the METEOR instrument that will make the first space-based chemical analyses of meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere; an investigation of the regolith (soil-like impact dust) found on small bodies such as asteroids; and the largest combustion experiment ever conducted in space. 

The combustion experiment, known as “Saffire,” will study the effects of open flames in space and improve safety practices on future missions. Most controlled flame experiments have been on a small scale, perhaps for obvious reasons, but because the experiment will be contained on an empty spacecraft, researchers can freely tear it the fuck up without causing undue risk to the crew.