Latest news with #Astrobee-REACCH
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Business Standard
26-05-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
Sonic boom marks SpaceX Dragon's return to earth after ISS cargo mission
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific off California's coast, marking the end of a successful cargo mission to the space station. The uncrewed capsule completed the 32nd commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA. The spacecraft is designed for low gravity, carrying nearly 6,700 pounds of supplies. It had undocked from the space station's Harmony module on May 23 at 12.05 pm, ready to deliver its cargo back to Earth. SpaceX Dragon returned to Earth with a sonic boom Southern California's most regions felt the shaking from a brief sonic boom created as SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Saturday night. SpaceX shared a post on X announcing that the spacecraft Dragon would return to Earth with a short sonic boom before landing in the Pacific region. The post reads, "Dragon is on track to reenter Earth's atmosphere and splash down off the southern coast of California near Oceanside at ~10:44 p.m. PT." Several people took to social media after they heard the boom sound on Saturday. Many people shared a video of the bright streak across the night sky as the Dragon's flight continued over the Golden State. Testing materials and advancing robotic tech in space The mission brought back valuable hardware from the MISSE-20 experiment. The test checked the endurance of different materials in the extreme environment of space. Exposed to ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, and charged particles, items like solar sails, radiation shields, and reentry ceramics underwent rigorous testing. These insights will play a vital role in shaping the next generation of spacecraft materials. Another significant return was Astrobee-REACCH, a robotic test system equipped with gripping arms and sticky adhesive pads. These Astrobee robots successfully manipulated objects of various shapes in microgravity. Their capabilities could prove essential for future missions—clearing orbital debris, maintaining old satellites, and enhancing overall safety in space operations. Books, cameras, and clearer views of Earth Also aboard were books from the 'Story Time from Space' initiative, where astronauts read STEM-focused stories to children on Earth. While floating in orbit, they conducted science experiments alongside the readings. These videos and learning materials are now part of an educational resource library back on Earth. The mission also carried back data and hardware from OPTICA, a year-long demonstration project that tested cutting-edge space imaging technology. With its focus on high-resolution visuals and data compression techniques, OPTICA could significantly cut the costs of satellite communications and enhance disaster response systems using clearer, faster space-based imagery. From launchpad to learning: A mission timeline This Dragon capsule launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on April 21 and docked with the ISS a day later, on April 22. The ISS has now been continuously inhabited for over 24 years. It remains a vital platform for scientific research and commercial innovation in low Earth orbit. Each mission not only advances our understanding of space but also lays the groundwork for future exploration, including NASA's Artemis program and the eventual goal of reaching Mars.
India Today
26-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Video: Fiery SpaceX Dragon streaks across sky after undocking from Space Station
A spectacular sight lit up the night sky as SpaceX's unpiloted Dragon spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere, creating a fiery streak visible for miles before splashing down off the southern California dramatic return marked the end of SpaceX's 32nd commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA, with the Dragon capsule carrying back a trove of scientific samples and undocking from the ISS's Harmony module, Dragon spent nearly two days in orbit before its high-speed descent. Residents across Southern California reported seeing the brilliant trail and hearing a brief sonic boom as the capsule blazed through the atmosphere as it went through intense heat and friction generated during spacecraft returned with over 3,000 kilogram of cargo, including critical scientific experiments that benefited from the station's unique microgravity the returned items was MISSE-20, a suite of materials exposed to the harsh conditions of space to test their resilience against radiation, atomic oxygen, and extreme temperature findings are expected to inform the development of future spacecraft shielding and heat-resistant are the first drogue parachutes built entirely in-house by SpaceX. Tested earlier this year, they include key data-driven upgrades such as stronger joints and ribbons and a re-positioned pack for smoother deployment and inflation SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 25, 2025advertisementAlso aboard was the Astrobee-REACCH demonstration, featuring a robot with tentacle-like arms and adhesive pads designed to grasp and relocate objects in technology could one day help capture space debris or service satellites, extending their operational lifespans and protecting valuable assets in low Earth cargo included books from the Story Time from Space project, where astronauts read STEM-themed children's books on the ISS, as well as data from the OPTICA technology demonstration, which tested advanced image compression for faster, more efficient Earth observation data Watch
UPI
22-05-2025
- Science
- UPI
SpaceX Dragon ISS depature delayed due to weather
May 21 (UPI) -- Unfavorable weather conditions have delayed the SpaceX Dragon's return to Earth from the International Space Station until at least Friday. The SpaceX Dragon had been scheduled for a 12:05 p.m. EDT departure of the SpaceX Dragon from the ISS on Thursday for its return voyage to Earth. The spacecraft was scheduled for a splashdown off the coast of California on Friday, but weather conditions are unfavorable at the splashdown location, NASA announced on Thursday. NASA officials are reviewing the weather situation and have delayed the SpaceX Dragon's departure from the ISS at least until Friday. The space agency will announce a new departure date and time when weather conditions improve. The unmanned SpaceX Dragon will convey important scientific experiments from the International Space Station that could affect future space-based endeavors. 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 its departure was to be streamed live by NASA. After the spacecraft eventually departs the ISS, officials at the SpaceX Mission Control center in Hawthorne, Calif., will remotely control the spacecraft until its splashdown off the coast of California. 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.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
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.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
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. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
