NASA sends new research and hardware to Space Station on SpaceX mission

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., - Experiments in forest observation, protein crystal growth and in-space fuel transfer demonstration are heading to the International Space Station following the launch Wednesday of SpaceX’s 16th mission for NASA under the agency’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. The company’s Dragon spacecraft lifted off at 1:16 p.m. EST on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It’s carrying more than 5,600 pounds of research equipment, cargo and supplies that will support the crew, station maintenance and dozens of the more than 250 investigations aboard the space station., reported NASA.

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The Intelligent Aerospace take:

December 7, 2018-The ongoing public/private partnership between NASA and SpaceX continues to prove benefitical for both entities. The delivery will allow for the first time the transfer and long-term storage of liquid methane, a cryogenic fluid, in microgravity. The ability to replenish and store cryogenic fluids. The liquid methane can act as a coolant or a fuel, and will help enable long duration journeys to destinations, such as the Moon and Mars. Manned space travel, particuarly lunar or to other planets, rarely fails to get the imagination going.

Related: SpaceX launches Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express carrying 64 payloads to low Earth orbit

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Related: We all benefit by NASA’s space exploration

Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace

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