SpaceX and NASA are preparing for the 35th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services contract. The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:33 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.
The mission utilizes the Falcon 9 first stage booster B1096, marking its eighth flight. The Cargo Dragon spacecraft, identified as C211, is on its fourth mission. It is expected to dock with the zenith port of the Harmony module on October 15 at approximately 11 a.m. EDT and remain docked for about one month.
The Dragon spacecraft is carrying 6 300 pounds of cargo, including the final pair of ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays to boost the station's power generation. The trunk also contains a housing for a failed Canadarm2 joint, a toilet dose pump, quality sensors, and a robot microcontical tool for maintenance tasks.
Scientific research payloads include experiments on manufacturing artificial retinas and studying 3D heart tissue growth in microgravity. Other studies will focus on glass formation using non-traditional elements and the link between inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.
