SpaceX Dragon docks at ISS; delivers science equipment, Thanksgiving treats
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft carrying around 3,500kg of cargo, successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on November 27 at 7:39 am ET (6:09 pm IST). The mission took off on November 26 at 2:20 pm EST (12:50 am IST, November 27). The cargo delivered to the space station included seeds, solar arrays, and even Thanksgiving treats for the members onboard.
Why does this story matter?
The 26th Commercial Resupply Mission (CRS) to the ISS marks SpaceX's 54th launch this year. The spacecraft shipped an interesting range of items to the space station, including tomatoes, construction items like liquid resin, and even a diagnostic kit. The supplies arrived late to the seven-member crew at the floating station as the launch got postponed.
The launch was rescheduled due to unfavorable weather
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted off on the Falcon 9 rocket on November 26 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch was supposed to take place on November 22 but the plan was called off due to "poor weather conditions." The spacecraft has now successfully docked at the ISS.
A lot of treats were sent as cargo
The spacecraft's cargo, which weighed around 3,500kg, included tomatoes, an in-flight diagnostic kit, construction items like liquid resin, and solar panels for power generation at the ISS. There were also belated Thanksgiving treats for the seven-member crew at the space station. They included spicy green beans, ice cream, cranberry and apple desserts, candy corn, and almond pumpkin pie.
Check out the launch of SpaceX's 26th CRS mission
Scientists will conduct tomato-related experiments on ISS
Chilies, lettuce, and radishes have been grown and tasted on the ISS. Now, scientists aboard the space station will grow a variety of dwarf tomatoes, called Red Robin. As part of a controlled experiment, it will also be grown on Earth. The results from the two locations will be compared to find out the effect of zero-gravity conditions on tomato growth.
