On April 21, SpaceX launched its 32nd cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) — CRS-32 (SpX-32). It will deliver more than 3 tons of cargo and scientific equipment to the station, writes Space.com. The space “cargo” Cargo Dragon 2 is expected to arrive at the ISS on April 22 at 15:20 Moscow time.
Image source: NASA/SpaceX
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the unmanned Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft lifted off at 4:15 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. About eight minutes after launch, the rocket’s first stage returned to Earth, landing at SpaceX Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
This was the third launch and landing for the Falcon 9 rocket and the fifth flight of the unmanned Cargo Dragon 2, which previously delivered cargo to the ISS on missions CRS-22, CRS-24, CRS-27 and CRS-30. It was also the 12th flight of the spacecraft to the ISS in the Cargo Dragon 2 modification, which delivers 20% more cargo to the orbital station than the previous version and performs automatic docking with the station without using a manipulator gripper.
In addition to food and equipment for the Expedition 73 crew, the CRS-32 mission will deliver an advanced air quality monitoring system to be used during human missions to the Moon and Mars, and two atomic clocks to study fundamental physics concepts such as relativity in microgravity. It will also carry out an experiment to test the precision maneuvering of free-roaming robots.