SpaceX and NASA are set to launch CRS-35 from Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday morning with 6,300 pounds of cargo for the International Space Station. The flight is scheduled from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and carries the final pair of ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays.
Bill Spetch said the mission also includes a dose pump for the toilet, pre-treat quality sensors, a robot microcontical tool, and science experiments on artificial retinas and 3D heart tissue models. He added that the cargo will support station maintenance, research, and power work already in progress.
CRS-35 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
The launch is set for 6:33 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40, with Falcon 9 flying on a northeasterly trajectory after liftoff. SpaceX will use booster B1096 on its eighth launch, and the mission is the 35th flight under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract.
Cargo Dragon C211 is scheduled to dock with the zenith port of the Harmony module on Oct. 15 around 11 a.m. EDT. That port was recently vacated by Crew Dragon Freedom, which brought the four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission back to Earth with a splashdown on Oct. 8.
Bill Spetch on Cargo Dragon C211
C211 is on its fourth flight and previously flew CRS-26, CRS-29, and CRS-33. The spacecraft will carry the final pair of ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays in its unpressurized trunk, along with a clamshell apparatus for the failed Canadarm2 joint that was removed during the June 30 spacewalk.
Spetch said, “Additional equipment we’re launching includes a dose pump for our toilet, some pre-treat quality sensors, a robot microcontical tool used for space station maintenance and utilization tasks with external replacement units and impairments,” and, “We also have a wealth of science experiments on board, including studies to manufacture artificial retinas, understand how microgravity affects the growth of 3D heart tissue models, study how glass forms when made with non-traditional elements, and better understand how inflammation is linked to neurodegenerative diseases.”
ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays
The solar arrays will help augment the power generation of the aging station, while NASA still plans procurement of a final set of new solar wings to fully reinforce the lab’s power supply. That leaves this launch carrying two jobs at once: delivering hardware the station needs now and adding equipment that will be used after docking.
After docking, Dragon C211 is expected to remain attached to the International Space Station for about a month. Spaceflight Now will begin live coverage about an hour before liftoff, giving viewers a short window before the cargo run starts.
