NASA Announces Next SpaceX Station Resupply Launch

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida carrying the Dragon resupply spacecraft on the sixth commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett.


 
 
NASA’s next commercial cargo resupply mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida to the International Space Station will be on June 26 at approximately 11:09 a.m. local time aboard the SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

This will be SpaceX’s seventh NASA-contracted cargo mission and its eighth visit to the station. The flight will deliver several tons of supplies, such as new science experiments and technology research, as well as the first of two International Docking Adapters. These adapters will be installed on the station to facilitate docking of commercial crew spacecraft, including the Boeing CST-100 and SpaceX Crew Dragon.

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is the first reusable spacecraft, a pivotal breakthrough according to the company. SpaceX believes that reusable rockets are needed to substantially reduce costs. SpaceX uses the commercial airliners as a model of reusability that reduces costs.

SpaceX rockets are designed to withstand reentry into Earth’s atmosphere instead of burning up like the majority of launches today and in the past. And not only does their spacecraft survive reentry, it also returns to the launch pad for vertical landing.

For more information about the SpaceX resupply mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/spacex.

For information about the International Space Station, its crew and research, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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