SpaceX CRS-31
| Names | CRS SpX-31 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | ISS resupply |
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Mission duration | 13 hours, 34 minutes (in progress) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Cargo Dragon C208 |
| Spacecraft type | Cargo Dragon |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 5 November 2024, 02:29:31 UTC (4 November, 9:29:31 pm EST)[1] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1083.5) |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC‑39A |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Docking with ISS | |
| Docking port | Harmony forward |
| Docking date | 5 November 2024, 14:52:11 UTC |
| Time docked | 1 hour, 11 minutes (in progress) |
| Cargo | |
| Mass | 2,762 kg (6,089 lb) |
| Pressurised | 2,435 kg (5,368 lb) |
| Unpressurised | 327 kg (721 lb) |
 Mission patch | |
SpaceX CRS-31, sometimes identified by NASA as CRS SpX-31, is an upcoming American cargo spacecraft flight to the International Space Station (ISS), expected to launch in early November 2024. It will be operated by SpaceX under a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The spacecraft is a Cargo Dragon, serial number C208, which will make its fifth flight on this mission.
Launch
[edit]NASA and SpaceX are currently targeting no earlier than early November for the launch of CRS-31 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.[2][3]
Manifest
[edit]The Cargo Dragon spacecraft is to be loaded with a total of 2,762 kilograms (6,089 lb) of cargo and supplies before its launch, including 2,435 kilograms (5,368 lb) of pressurised and 327 kilograms (721 lb) of unpressurised cargo.
The cargo manifest is broken down as follows:[4]
- Crew supplies: 961 kg (2,119 lb)
- Science investigations: 917 kg (2,022 lb)
- Spacewalk equipment: 171 kg (377 lb)
- Vehicle hardware: 238 kg (525 lb)
- Computer resources: 20 kg (44 lb)
Research
[edit]Various experiments will transported to the orbiting laboratory abord the Cargo Dragon. These are four of the projects highlighted by NASA:
Measuring Solar Wind
[edit]The CODEX (COronal Diagnostic EXperiment) examines the solar wind, creating a globally comprehensive data to help scientists confirm theories for what heats the solar wind – which is a million degrees hotter than the Sun’s surface – and sends it streaming out at almost a million miles per hour.
The investigation uses a coronagraph, an instrument that blocks out direct sunlight to reveal details in the outer atmosphere or corona. The instrument takes multiple daily measurements that determine the temperature and speed of electrons in the solar wind, along with the density information gathered by traditional coronagraphs. A diverse international team has been designing, building, and testing the instrument since 2019 at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.[4]
Antarctic Moss in Space
[edit]A radiation tolerance experiment, ARTEMOSS, uses a live Antarctic moss, Ceratodon purpureus, to study how some plants better tolerate exposure to radiation and to examine the physical and genetic response of biological systems to the combination of cosmic radiation and microgravity. Little research has been done on how these two factors together affect plant physiology and performance, and results could help identify biological systems suitable for use in bioregenerative life support systems on future missions.
Mosses grow on every continent on Earth and have the highest radiation tolerance of any plant. Their small size, low maintenance, ability to absorb water from the air, and tolerance of harsh conditions make them suitable for spaceflight. NASA chose the Antarctic moss because that continent receives high levels of radiation from the Sun.[4]
Exposing Materials to Space
[edit]The Euro Material Ageing investigation from the European Space Agency includes two experiments studying how certain materials age while exposed to space. The first experiment, developed by Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, includes materials selected from 15 European entities. The second experiment looks at organic samples and their stability or degradation when exposed to ultraviolet radiation not filtered by Earth’s atmosphere.
Predicting the behavior and lifespan of materials used in space can be difficult because facilities on the ground cannot simultaneously test for all aspects of the space environment. The exposed samples are recovered and returned to Earth.[4]
Repairing Spacecraft from the Inside
[edit]Nanolab Astrobeat investigates using cold welding to repair perforations in the outer shell or hull of a spacecraft from the inside. Less force is needed to fuse metallic materials in space than on Earth, and cold welding could be an effective way to repair spacecraft.
Some micrometeoroids and space debris traveling at high velocities could perforate the outer surfaces of spacecraft, possibly jeopardizing mission success or crew safety. The ability to repair impact damage from inside a spacecraft may be more efficient and safer for crew members. Results also could improve applications of cold welding on Earth as well.[4]
ISS Reboost
[edit]SpaceX CRS-31 will be the first Dragon to test an ISS Reboost. On 8 November 2024, Cargo Dragon C208 will fire its aft-facing Draco thrusters 12.5 minutes.[5] Changes in orbit, trajectory and velocity will be carefully observed as it aids in developing US Deorbit Vehicle.[6]
The ISS Deorbit Vehicle is a planned Cargo Dragon variant that will be used to deorbit the ISS and direct any remnants into the "spacecraft cemetery", a remote area of the southern Pacific Ocean.[7] The vehicle will attach to the ISS using one of the Cargo Dragon vehicles, which will be paired with a longer trunk module equipped with 46 Draco thrusters (instead of the normal 16) and will carry 30,000 kg (66,000 lb) of propellant, nearly six times the normal load. NASA plans to launch the deorbit vehicle in 2030 where it will remain attached, dormant, for about a year as the station's orbit naturally decays to 220 km (140 mi). The spacecraft is to then conduct one or more orientation burns to lower the perigee to 150 km (93 mi), followed by a final deorbiting burn.[8] In June 2024, NASA awarded a contract worth up to $843 million to SpaceX to build the deorbit vehicle as it works to secure funding.[9][10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "CRS SpX-31". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "NASA Adjusts Crew-9 Launch Date for Operational Flexibility – Commercial Crew Program". blogs.nasa.gov. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ "OET Special Temporary Authority Report". apps.fcc.gov. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Garcia, Mark A.; O'Shea, Claire A. (30 October 2024). "NASA, SpaceX 31st Commercial Resupply Mission Overview". NASA. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (5 November 2024). "Falcon 9 launches cargo Dragon mission to ISS". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (9 May 2023). "NASA proposes 'hybrid' contract approach for space station deorbit vehicle". SpaceNews. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ "NASA plans to take International Space Station out of orbit in January 2031 by crashing it into 'spacecraft cemetery'". Sky News. 1 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (9 May 2023). "NASA proposes 'hybrid' contract approach for space station deorbit vehicle". SpaceNews. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ "NASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle – NASA". Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (1 May 2024). "Nelson lobbies Congress to fund ISS deorbit vehicle in supplemental spending bill". SpaceNews. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to SpaceX CRS-31 at Wikimedia Commons
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