Trent J. Perrotto
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov
Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
josh.byerly@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 13-085
SPACEX DRAGON SPACECRAFT RETURNS CRITICAL NASA SCIENCE TO EARTH
WASHINGTON -- A Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Dragon
spacecraft successfully completed the company's second cargo flight
to the International Space Station on Tuesday, March 26, with a 12:36
p.m. EDT splashdown in the Pacific Ocean a few hundred miles west of
Baja California, Mexico.
"The scientific research delivered and being returned by Dragon
enables advances in every aspect of NASA's diverse space station
science portfolio, including human research, biology and physical
sciences," said Julie Robinson, International Space Station Program
scientist. "There are more than 200 active investigations underway
aboard our orbiting laboratory in space. The scientific community has
eagerly awaited the return of today's Dragon to see what new insights
the returned samples and investigations it carries will unveil."
Science being conducted aboard the space station includes research on
physical and biological processes that cannot be done anywhere else,
applied research to improve lives on Earth, and exploration research
to help humans move safely beyond Earth orbit.
A boat will take the Dragon capsule to a port near Los Angeles, where
it will be prepared for a return journey to SpaceX's test facility in
McGregor, Texas, for processing. Some cargo will be removed at the
port in California and returned to NASA within 48 hours. This
includes a freezer packed with research samples collected in the
space station's unique microgravity environment. The remainder of the
cargo will be returned to Texas with the capsule.
Dragon is the only space station resupply spacecraft able to return a
significant amount of cargo to Earth. The spacecraft lifted off from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 1, carrying
about 1,268 pounds (575 kilograms) of supplies and investigations. It
returned about 2,668 pounds (1,210 kilograms) of science samples,
equipment and education activities.
Investigations included among the returned cargo could aid in food
production during future long-duration space missions and enhance
crop production on Earth. Others could help in the development of
more efficient solar cells, detergents and semiconductor-based
electronics.
Among the returned investigations was the Coarsening in Solid-Liquid
Mixtures (CSLM-3) experiment, which also launched to space aboard
this Dragon. CLSM-3 studies how crystals known as dendrites form as a
metal alloy becomes solid. The research could help engineers develop
stronger materials for use in automobile, aircraft and spacecraft
parts.
Dragon also is returning several human research samples that will help
scientists continue to examine how the human body reacts to long-term
spaceflight. The results will have implications for future space
exploration and direct benefits here on Earth.
The mission was the second of at least 12 cargo resupply trips SpaceX
plans to make to the space station through 2016 under NASA's
Commercial Resupply Services contract.
SpaceX is one of two companies to build and test new cargo spacecraft
under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS)
program. Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., is the other company
participating in COTS. A demonstration flight of Orbital's Antares
rocket and Cygnus spacecraft to the station is planned for later this
year.
NASA initiatives such as COTS and the agency's Commercial Crew Program
are helping develop a robust U.S. commercial space transportation
industry with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective
transportation to and from the space station and low Earth orbit. In
addition to cargo flights, NASA's commercial space partners are
making progress toward a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the
next few years.
While NASA works with U.S. industry partners to develop and advance
these commercial spaceflight capabilities, the agency also is
developing the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS), a
crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket to provide an entirely new
capability for human exploration. Designed to be flexible for
launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS and Orion will
expand human presence beyond low Earth orbit and enable new missions
of exploration in the solar system.
For more information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station For more information about NASA's commercial space programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/commercial
