SpaceX Dragon to depart ISS with scientific research samples
May 21 (UPI) -- The SpaceX Dragon will return to Earth on Friday with important scientific experiments from the International Space Station that could affect future space-based endeavors.
NASA has scheduled a 12:05 p.m. EDT departure of the SpaceX Dragon from the ISS on Thursday for its return voyage to Earth.
The spacecraft will contain tons of scientific samples from experiments done on the ISS and hardware, which several ISS crewmembers have been loading on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Nearly 6,700 pounds of science experiments, supplies, equipment and food will return to Earth from the ISS, according to NASA.
Among experiments returning to Earth is the Multipurpose International Space Station Experiment that exposed different materials to space to determine its effect on them.
Space-exposed materials include radiation-detection and shielding materials, solar sails and reflective coatings, ceramic composites for re-entry spacecraft studies and resins that might be used in heat shields.
Samples also were retrieved from the exterior of the ISS to see how they responded to ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, charged particles, thermal recycling and other factors.
Equipment being returned to Earth includes Astrobee-REACCH robots that successfully demonstrated grasping and relocating capabilities to capture space objects of differing shapes and surface materials by using their tentacle-like arms and adhesive pads.
The robots could be used to capture and relocate debris and other objects in orbit and extend the lifespan of satellites.
The Dragon has been docked at the ISS for the past 30 days and is slated to begin its departure procedure at 11:45 A.M. EDT, which will be streamed live by NASA.
Officials at the SpaceX Mission Control center in Hawthorne, Calif., will remotely control the spacecraft until its splashdown off the coast of California on Friday.
The SpaceX Dragon's splashdown will not be streamed, but NASA will post updates on its space station blog.
SpaceX launched the Dragon spacecraft using a Falcon 9 rocket on April 21 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission is NASA's 32nd commercial resupply mission that was conducted by SpaceX.
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