SpaceX, NASA Cargo Mission To ISS Delayed: When Is It Launching?

Photo Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX’s next cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed. However, the launch date has been pushed by only one day. It will now be taking off tomorrow, November 22.

The delay was caused due to a coolant leak in SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule. The leak is now fixed and the capsule is ready to lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at 3:54 p.m. EST (2:24 AM IST).

Resupplying The International Space Station

If things go according to NASA and SpaceX’s plans, the Dragon capsule will reach the orbital outpost on Wednesday, November 23. The mission will deliver around 3,500 kilograms of supplies alongside scientific equipment. It will include project designs created by students and backed by the ISS National Laboratory’s educational outreach programs.

"Looking forward to this mission," said Joel Montalbano, manager of NASA's ISS program.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program allowed middle school and high school students to take part in a competition to deliver their projects to the ISS. The students showcased interesting experiments such as plant biology, microbial research, and crystal growth.

The cargo mission will also be carrying payloads from the Girl Scouts of America and Space Kids Global. These experiments will investigate ants and cellular plant growth in low Earth orbit. One project aims to test a new bone adhesive that can come in handy to repair fractures. Another project will provide a new implantable drug-delivery device trail beyond Earth.

Boosting ISS’ Power System

The hardware that the Dragon capsule will carry on the CRS-26 resupply mission will feature a new set of International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). they will be installed aboard the ISS to boost its power system.

Since it’s Thanksgiving time, the resupply mission will also include ice cream, spicy green beans, stuffing, and other traditional favorites for the crew aboard the orbital observatory.

NASA, SpaceX To Upgrade Hubble Telescope

Besides, NASA is also expected to team up with Elon Musk's SpaceX and the Polaris Program and explore the possibilities of taking the Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit with the help of a SpaceX vessel.

Currently, Hubble and SpaceX’s Dragon vessel are just hypotheses and the companies will take around six months to understand if it’s feasible to dock the iconic telescope on the spacecraft and ferry it to another orbit.