AUSTIN, Texas — SpaceX launched a cargo Dragon mission to the International Space Station Nov. 9 from one Florida pad because it completes work on a neighboring pad to support crew and cargo missions.
A Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at 8:28 p.m. Eastern and placed a cargo Dragon spacecraft into orbit on the CRS-29 mission. The Dragon is scheduled to dock autonomously with the ISS at about 5:20 a.m. Eastern Nov. 11. It would remain on the station until early to mid December.
The launch was originally scheduled for Nov. 5 but was delayed to switch a Draco thruster on the spacecraft that had a valve leaking nitrogen tetroxide propellant, said Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight programs at SpaceX, at a prelaunch briefing Nov. 8. After the thruster was replaced, technicians detected traces of nitrogen tetroxide in the realm, but decreased once the system was fully pressurized.
The Dragon is carrying 2,950 kilograms of cargo. Key payloads being ferried to the station on the spacecraft include a laser communications demonstration called ILLUMA-T that may provide high-bandwidth communications through the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration payload on the STPSat-6 satellite in geostationary orbit. Also on Dragon is the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE), which is able to study phenomena called gravity waves within the Earth’s upper atmosphere, including their links to space weather.
The spacecraft is carrying other supplies, experiments and hardware for the station and its crew. Amongst them is a tool bag to switch one which floated away during a spacewalk Nov. 1 by NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara.
The bag lost within the spacewalk had some ancillary equipment, like tethers and sockets, inside. “It’s unlucky we lost them nevertheless it’s not a huge effect,” said Dana Weigel, NASA ISS deputy program manager, throughout the prelaunch briefing. NASA remains to be investigating how the bag floated away.
The launch, like other launches of the present version of Dragon carrying crew and cargo, took place from LC-39A. SpaceX, though, is completing a tower at nearby Space Launch Complex 40 that’s designed to permit its use for Dragon missions. Staff recently installed the crew access arm, one in all the last major components for the tower.
“We’re creating that capability off of pad 40 to have the option to fly Dragons, cargo or human spaceflight missions,” Reed said. He noted that with the ability to have SLC-40 support Dragon launches would function a “relief valve for a heavy manifest” of missions using LC-39A, which can also be used for Falcon Heavy launches. “Sometimes it’s higher for our manifest and our customers’ must have the option to have one other place to fly Dragon.”
Having a Dragon capability at SLC-40 also ensures that Dragon missions can proceed to launch if LC-39A becomes unavailable for an prolonged period “for whatever reason.” Besides hosting Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches, SpaceX is constructing a Starship launch pad at LC-39A.
Spaceflight Now reported that the tower could also be first used for the Ax-3 private astronaut mission to the ISS, scheduled to launch in early January. Launching Ax-3 from SLC-40 would allow LC-39A for use for the IM-1 lunar lander mission launching as soon as Jan. 12, which must launch from that pad since it is ready as much as fuel the lander just before launch.
Reed declined to substantiate if Ax-3 can be the primary crewed mission launching from SLC-40. “With regards to the upcoming manifest, we’re working through that,” he said. “The excellent news is that, with 40 coming online, now we have more options.”