Story at a glance
- SpaceX launched a cargo capsule on Tuesday morning that held more than 6,500 pounds of gear for astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS).
- The cargo mission marks SpaceX’s 100th successful landing of its reusable rocket boosters.
- Christmas presents, food, laundry detergent and science experiments are just some of the items included in the cargo.
Astronauts currently living in the International Space Station (ISS) are eagerly awaiting a special delivery of cargo that includes everything from science experiments to laundry detergent and even Christmas presents, right in time for the holidays.
Commercial space company SpaceX successfully launched its Dragon capsule in the predawn hours of Tuesday morning from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The capsule was loaded onto SpaceX’s Falcon rocket and held more than 6,500 pounds of gear for the seven astronauts currently stationed in the ISS.
According to NASA, the spacecraft is scheduled to arrive and dock at the ISS around 4:30 a.m. on Wed. Dec. 22, and will stay there for about a month.
The cargo includes a variety of different supplies, some of which are housekeeping items like laundry detergent. Currently, astronauts aren’t able to wash their clothes due to limited amounts of water available on the ISS. They end up throwing out dirty clothing, but Procter & Gamble Co. has sent a laundry detergent experiment to test a fully degradable detergent for eventual use at the station, on the moon and elsewhere in space.
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Other items astronauts are expecting are Christmas presents, sent by their families and a holiday feast of smoked fish, turkey, green beans and fruitcake, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Multiple science experiments are also being sent to the ISS, one of which includes bioprinting bandages. It’s a process that uses a person’s viable cells and biological molecules to print tissue structures that create a patch to cover a wound. Because it uses a patient’s own skin, scientists believe it can accelerate the healing process. Bioprinting bandages in space could address changes in wound healing and help scientists understand how space can complicate treatment.
Tuesday’s cargo supply launch also marks SpaceX’s 100th successful landing of its reusable rockets, the only space company that has the capability to reuse its rocket boosters.
Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s mission manager, told the AP, “It’s critical to lower the cost of spaceflight to continue to reuse these boosters more and more times. A hundred is a big milestone, so we’re excited about that. We’re also excited to see how few new boosters we have to produce as the years go by.”
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