Photo Credit: SpaceX 721r4j
SpaceX's CRS-31 Dragon departs ISS after undocking, captured on Dec. 16, 2024
SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule, part of the CRS-31 mission, undocked from the International NASA officials confirmed that while the event will not be live-streamed, updates will be available via the agency's ISS blog.
CRS-31's return cargo includes experimental specimens and critical equipment used for microgravity research conducted on the ISS. As per spacecraft capable of safely returning scientific materials to Earth. Other resupply vehicles, such as Northrop Grumman's Cygnus and Russia's Progress spacecraft, burn up during reentry, disposing of station waste.
The Dragon capsule was launched on November 4 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. It delivered approximately 2,700 kilograms of supplies, research tools, and fresh food to the Expedition 71 astronauts.
The crew aboard the ISS includes NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who arrived earlier this year aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Originally planned for an eight-day mission, technical complications with Starliner led to an extended stay of nearly eight months. Sources state that both astronauts will return to Earth in February 2025 on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission.
Following splashdown, NASA will rapidly retrieve the Dragon capsule to preserve the integrity of time-sensitive experiments. According to reports, the recovered cargo will be transported to NASA's Systems Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center for further examination. This process ensures continued research on materials exposed to the microgravity environment during the mission.
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