CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – SpaceX, in collaboration with NASA, is gearing up for its 30th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket, carrying an uncrewed SpaceX Cargo Dragon, is slated for Thursday, March 21, at 4:55 p.m. EDT.
The upcoming mission, CRS-30, heralds the return of cargo launches from SLC-40 after a four-year hiatus, showcasing the completion of the facility’s new launch tower, which now includes a crew access arm. This enhancement not only allows for crewed missions from the site but also bolsters SpaceX’s overall capability in scheduling astronaut launches.
Kristi Duplichen, Deputy Manager of NASA’s International Space Station Transportation Integration Office, shared during a March 19 press call that the Cargo Dragon would rendezvous with the ISS on Saturday, March 23. ISS crew members Matt Dominic and Mike Barrett are set to oversee the docking process.
Duplichen highlighted the mission’s payload, which includes over 6,000 pounds of research supplies, station equipment, and food for the ISS crew. Among the cargo are fresh citrus, apples, cherry tomatoes, and two new coffee kits, requested by the crew for a taste of home.
Upon arrival at the ISS, the CRS-30 Cargo Dragon will dock to the zenith port of the station’s Harmony module, where it will stay for about a month. This mission emphasizes the unique capability of SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon to return experiments and equipment safely from the ISS to Earth, a feature not shared by other cargo vehicles like Northrup Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft and Roscosmos’s Progress cargo vehicle, which are designed to burn up upon re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.
The CRS-30 ISS resupply mission carries numerous scientific investigations aimed at leveraging the unique microgravity environment of the ISS. “The International Space Station offers an extremely unique environment to conduct research and to advance technologies in a way that we can’t do anywhere on Earth,” explained Heidi Parris, Associate Program Scientist at NASA’s ISS Program Research Office. Among the experiments are the Nano Particle Haloing Suspension investigation, which seeks to enhance solar cell efficiencies, and the APEX-09 experiment, focusing on the genetic study of plants in microgravity.
Parris also mentioned that CRS-30 would delve into a wide array of research areas including cellular microbiology, crystal growth, astrophysics, and more. This diverse scientific payload underscores the mission’s broad impact on science and technology.
Melody Lovin, Launch Weather Officer with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron, noted that the weather for Thursday’s launch holds an 85 percent chance of favorable conditions, although the forecast for the backup window on Friday indicates a significant deterioration.
The mission also promises to enhance the ISS crew’s research capabilities, delivering a camera for sharp 4K views of Earth, among other experiments focusing on health and technology.
