April 23, 2024

Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX CRS-27 Resupply Mission en Route to Space Station

SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, with the businesss Dragon spacecraft atop, takes off from NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A in Florida on March 14, 2023, starting the companys 27th resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff took place at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
In addition to providing station products, fresh food, and hardware, Dragon also will provide numerous science and research investigations, consisting of the last 2 experiments of the National Institutes for Health and International Space Station National Laboratorys Tissue Chips in Space effort. Both experiments– the Cardinal Heart 2.0 and Engineered Heart Tissues-2– use little devices including living cells that simulate functions of heart tissues and organs to understand the role of microgravity on human health and use this info to improve health in the world.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket skyrockets up after its liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14, 2023, on the businesss 27th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. The Dragon spacecraft will provide more than 6,000 pounds of science and research study, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the area station. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Dragon will spend about a month connected to the area station prior to autonomously returning and undocking to Earth with research study and return freight, sprinkling down in the off the coast of Florida.
Liftoff took place at 8:30 p.m. EDT, as SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket rumbled off the pad at Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This began Dragons two-day journey to the International Space Station.
The first phase of SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket lands on the businesss drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” quickly after raising off from Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A in Florida for the 27th resupply services mission to the International Space Station on March 14, 2023. Credit: SpaceX
A little more than five minutes later on, as the second phase continued bring Dragon on its journey, the Falcon 9 rockets very first stage stuck the landing. Todays launch marked the seventh flight for this Falcon 9, and it is the 2nd Dragon flight to the International Space Station this year– the first taking place simply under two weeks earlier.
SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft separates from the Falcon 9 rockets second stage throughout NASAs SpaceX 27th commercial resupply services objective to the International Space Station on March 14, 2023. Dragon will rendezvous with the space station on March 16 at roughly 7:52 a.m. EDT. Credit: NASA
Next, SpaceXs uncrewed Dragon spacecraft separated from the Falcon 9 rockets second phase, as the spacecraft continues its journey to the International Space Station to deliver important materials, devices, and material to support several science and research experiments that will occur aboard the orbiting lab.
Dragon is anticipated to reach the area station around 7:52 a.m. EDT Thursday, March 16, docking to the stations Harmony port– recently vacated by SpaceXs crewed Dragon, called Endurance, which returned NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 crew members Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, Koichi Wakata, and Anna Kikina to Earth on March 11.

SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, with the companys Dragon spacecraft atop, takes off from NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A in Florida on March 14, 2023, beginning the companys 27th resupply services objective to the International Space Station. Liftoff took place at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Credit: NASA
SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft– carrying numerous thousand pounds of critical science, hardware, and team materials– is on its method to the International Space Station (ISS) following an effective launch from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The companys Falcon 9 rocket took off from Launch Complex 39A at 8:30 p.m. EDT, beginning SpaceXs 27th resupply services objective to the orbiting lab.
SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, with the businesss uncrewed Dragon spacecraft on top, took off from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida right on time, at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Credit: NASA
Dragon is now securely in orbit. A series of thruster firings will assist Dragon reach the spaceport station about 36 hours later. Upon its arrival, it will autonomously dock to the stations Harmony module, with NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg monitoring operations. Live coverage of Dragons arrival will air on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agencys site start at 6:15 a.m. Thursday, March 16. Docking is scheduled for approximately 7:52 a.m.

Fun Facts About This Launch

This is the seventh flight of this SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
Tonights launch marks SpaceXs second Dragon launch of 2023 and the companys 216th mission overall
This is the 3rd flight for this uncrewed Dragon spacecraft
Teams prepare to recover the Falcon 9s first phase following its go back to Earth– if effective, this will be the 178th healing of an orbital class rocket
Tonights recovery operations are being managed by an all-female crew stationed on SpaceXs drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” off the coast of Florida

SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, with the businesss Dragon spacecraft atop, raises off from NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A in Florida on March 14, 2023, starting the companys 27th resupply services objective to the International Space Station. Docking is scheduled for roughly 7:52 a.m.

SpaceXs 27th commercial resupply objective took off from Kennedy Space Center at 8:30 p.m. EDT, bring over 6,200 lbs. of science, materials, and food for the worldwide crew. Credit: NASA
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket bring the Dragon spacecraft raises off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14, 2023, on the companys 27th business resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Dragon will provide more than 6,000 pounds of freight, including a variety of NASA examinations, supplies, and devices to the crew aboard the space station, consisting of the last two experiments making up the National Institutes for Health and International Space Station National Laboratorys Tissue Chips in Space initiative, Cardinal Heart 2.0 and Engineered Heart Tissues-2.
Seen here is an up-close view of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop the companys Falcon 9 rocket in the vertical position at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in preparation for the 27th business resupply services launch to the International Space Station. The objective will provide brand-new science investigations, materials, and devices to the crew aboard the area station. Credit: SpaceX
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the businesss Dragon spacecraft atop, is raised to a vertical position at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A on March 13, 2023, in preparation for the 27th business resupply services launch to the International Space Station. The objective will provide brand-new science investigations, products, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station.

SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, with the companys Dragon spacecraft atop, lifts off raises NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A in Florida on March 14, 2023, beginning the companys 27th resupply services mission to objective International Space Station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14, 2023, on the companys 27th business resupply services objective for the agency to the International Space Station. Dragon will deliver more than 6,000 pounds of freight, consisting of a range of NASA examinations, products, and equipment to the team aboard the space station, consisting of the final 2 experiments consisting of the National Institutes for Health and International Space Station National Laboratorys Tissue Chips in Space initiative, Cardinal Heart 2.0 and Engineered Heart Tissues-2. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the businesss Dragon spacecraft atop, is raised to a vertical position at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A on March 13, 2023, in preparation for the 27th commercial resupply services launch to the International Space Station.