NASA to Highlight Science Investigations Launching on Next Dragon Supply Ship
Dragon spacecraft in orbit. (Credit: NASA)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (NASA PR) — NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 28, to discuss select science investigations launching on the next SpaceX commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station.
SpaceX is targeting Dec. 4 for launch of its Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.
Participants in the briefing will be:
- Hsiao Smith, deputy director for technical of the Satellite Servicing Projects Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will discuss the Robotic Refueling Mission-3 to demonstrate the storage and transfer of liquid methane in space for the first time.
- Timothy Etheridge, principal investigator for the Molecular Muscle investigation, and a professor at University of Exeter, Department of Sport and Health Sciences in the United Kingdom,will discuss research to examine the molecular causes of muscle abnormalities during spaceflight in order to establish effective countermeasures.
- Ralph Dubayah, principal investigator for Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) at the Joint Global Carbon Cycle Center in College Park, Maryland, will discuss an investigation to test high-quality laser ranging observations of the Earth’s forests and topography required to advance the understanding of important carbon and water cycling processes, biodiversity, and habitat.
- Vic Keasler, Director of Research, Development and Engineering at Nalco Champion, an Ecolab company, will discuss an investigation to examine the rate of corrosion on carbon steel materials caused by films made up of microorganisms on Earth and in space.
- Jahaun Azadmanesh, a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, will discuss the Perfect Crystals investigation which aims to help understand how an antioxidant protein helps protect the human body from oxidizing radiation and oxidants created as a byproduct of metabolism.
To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Kathryn Hambleton at 202-358-1100 or [email protected] by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 27, for dial-in information.
Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at:
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will carry crew supplies, scientific research and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 57 and 58 crews for the 16th contracted mission by SpaceX under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract.
For launch countdown coverage, NASA’s launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:
One response to “NASA to Highlight Science Investigations Launching on Next Dragon Supply Ship”
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Wow, that liquid methane transfer and storage experiment could be really useful for SpaceX’s plans.
From the linked-to NASA article:
“Another possibility is mining water on the Moon in order to separate it into its individual elements, hydrogen and oxygen — both of which can be converted into cryogenic propellants. RRM3 technologies will establish methods for transferring and storing these resources to refuel spacecraft on exploration missions, laying the groundwork for what could one day be lunar gas stations.
Beyond the Moon, carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere also has the potential of being converted to liquid methane, a cryogenic fluid. RRM3 techniques could then be applied to refuel departure rockets from Mars.
As useful as cryogens are, their extremely low boiling points make storing them in space difficult, because they boil off over time. RRM3 will not only transfer cryogenic fluid, but store 42 liters of cryogen without fluid loss for six months — enough to maintain spacecraft instruments for years.
‘Any time you try something for the first time, there is an element of risk,’ said Jill McGuire, project manager for RRM3. ‘We hope our technology demonstration helps drive down the risk of refueling in space for future exploration and science missions.’ “
I’ll be looking forward to reading the results