![SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launches the company's CRS-28 cargo Dragon spacecraft into orbit to deliver supplies and hardware to the International Space Station for NASA. Credit: SpaceX](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Fx3__PMaIAAWHQZ.jpg)
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launches the corporate’s CRS-28 cargo Dragon spacecraft into orbit to deliver supplies and hardware to the International Space Station for NASA. Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX’s autonomous CRS-28 cargo Dragon spacecraft is on its approach to the International Space Station for a delivery of crew supplies and a pair of recent solar arrays.
Liftoff atop a Falcon 9 rocket occurred at 11:47 a.m. EDT (15:47 UTC) June 5, 2023, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Lower than 10 minutes later, the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft was in orbit to start its chase of the ISS.
![Falcon 9 soars spaceward with CRS-28 Dragon. Credit: SpaceX](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Fx4ADbnakAU3OKL.jpg)
Falcon 9 soars spaceward with CRS-28 Dragon. Credit: SpaceX
Docking is predicted in about 18 hours. The spacecraft is ready to link up with the space-facing port of the Harmony module at around 5:50 a.m. (09:50 UTC) June 6.
Aboard CRS-28 Dragon is a few 7,000 kilos (3,200 kilograms) of crew supplies, experiments and hardware certain for the space station’s seven-person Expedition 69 crew. Specifically, the unpressurized trunk section has the ultimate pair of ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays, or iROSAs, that are getting used to enhance the station’s power supply.
The ISS has eight large legacy solar arrays that were launched between 2000 and 2009. Each is 112 feet long and 39 feet wide (34 meters long and 12 meters wide) and had a lifespan of about 15 years. As such, the oldest are showing signs of efficacy loss and degradation.
Due to that, NASA ordered six iROSA wings from Redwire to be installed over the aging arrays. Each latest array is 60 feet long by 20 feet wide (18.2 meters long by 6 meters wide) and covers greater than half of the unique arrays. However the iROSAs are more efficient, producing greater than 20 kilowatts of power.
Even so, with all six iROSA wings installed, the power-generating capability of the ISS is predicted to extend by about 30%, giving the orbiting laboratory good enough power through the planned end of its life in 2030.
![The ISS in November 2021. On the right side of the image are the first set of iROSA solar arrays installed in the summer of 2021. Two more arrays were installed in November 2022 with the final pair to be installed in the coming weeks. Credit: NASA](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/51752252125_c10e1a6473_o.jpg)
The ISS in November 2021. On the best side of the image are the primary set of iROSA solar arrays installed in the summertime of 2021. Two more arrays were installed in November 2022 with the ultimate pair to be installed in the approaching weeks. Credit: NASA
In the summertime of 2021, the primary two sets of arrays were delivered by the CRS-22 cargo Dragon. The second pair arrived in November 2022 during CRS-26. Each roll-out array required not less than one spacewalk to put in a modification kit to mount excessive of the legacy array, in addition to one other outing to put in and deploy the array.
![The installation location of the six iROSA wings. The two launched during CRS-28 will be installed over the bottom left two legacy arrays. Credit: NASA](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/iRosa_future-e1611770958964-655x360.jpg)
The installation location of the six iROSA wings. The 2 launched during CRS-28 can be installed over the underside left two legacy arrays. Credit: NASA
The modification kits were sent individually and installed before the arrival of every pair of iROSAs.
As of now, the 2 spacewalks to put in the ultimate planned iROSAs are expected to occur on June 9 and June 15. They can be installed on the 1A and 1B power channels, respectively, on the starboard S4 and S6 truss segments.
In accordance with NASASpaceflight.com, the choice for a fourth pair of iROSA wings exists, should NASA resolve to order one other set in the longer term.
CRS-28 Dragon is predicted to stay docked to the ISS for a few month because the Expedition 69 crew unloads its pressurized cargo. It’ll be reloaded with equipment and experiments to be returned to Earth.
The capsule, which is on its fourth flight, will splashdown within the ocean off the coast of Florida for recovery and eventual reuse.
This was the fourth Dragon mission of 2023 (two crew and two cargo), and the thirty eighth Falcon family rocket to fly this 12 months.
For this launch Falcon 9 first stage booster B1077 was used for a fifth time. It successfully landed on SpaceX’s drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” downrange within the Atlantic Ocean lower than 10 minutes after leaving Florida.