SpaceX Dragon spreads its wings toward the ISS

SpaceX launched their Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) carrying the Dragon spacecraft toward the ISS. This is the first launch from SLC-40 since the Amos-6 pad anomaly back in September of 2016. This is also the first time NASA has agreed to use a flight-proven first stage on a resupply mission under the CRS contract. 

The Falcon 9 lifted off from SLC-40 at 10:36am EST and ascended into the skies of Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying loads of science to the International Space Station. There are 2 major payloads in

Photo of Dragon separation from the second stage
Photo credit // SpaceX

the unpressurized portion of Dragon which will be extracted by the robotic arm on the ISS a little after arrival. One of the payloads is a Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) that will measure the suns solar energy flow to the Earth and how it affects the atmosphere. The second payload is a space debris sensor that'll be used to analyze the small particles that the ISS collides with. Inside the pressurized portion of Dragon, there are various experiments that will be conducted inside of the ISS by the crew. There are also technological demonstrators for cell science research and fluid experiments as well as materials for micro-g fiber optic cable construction. Secondly, there are rodents being sent up for other research on how they react to different environments on the space station. Lastly, barley is being sent to the ISS and will be the first step to an on-board brewery.

Falcon 9 lifts off of SLC-40
Photo credit // SpaceX

SLC-40 has also been upgraded in various ways to support more launches and added redundancies for familiarity between launch pads for employees. They have made new doghouses (shields for the hold down clamps) to help protect the clamps during launch to last longer. The flame trench has been redesigned to withstand more power which allow for longer static fires of the Falcon 9. LOX Systems have been upgraded to make the densification of liquid oxygen a lot faster and the loading of it into the launch vehicle quicker. After the strongback was destroyed when Falcon exploded on the pad, they have manufactured a new one which has stronger lift cylinders to allow a one-step process to raise the vehicle vertically faster. Now that SLC-40 is active once again, SpaceX has 3 operational launch pads which will allow for a faster cadence of launches.

The Dragon spacecraft used on this mission has been refurbished after being flown for CRS-6 back in 2015. In order for Dragons to be reused, they need to go under several analysis, inspections, and

The Falcon 9 first stage lands at LZ-1
Photo credit // SpaceX

tests in McGregor, Texas and Hawthorne, California. The first stage was also reused and did not have the soot washed off of it, which they plan to do for other reused boosters as well (unless it's beneficial to wash it). 

SpaceX launch delays one more day

Falcon 9 Horizontal at SLC-40 - Credit: Craig Vander Galien // SpaceNews

SpaceX was planning the liftoff of the Falcon 9 with Dragon to the International Space Station tomorrow (Dec. 12) at 11:46am EST from SLC-40. They have now decided to push the launch one day to December 13th for additional time on the pre-launch ground systems checks. The new time of launch will be December 13th at 11:24am EST from SLC-40. This launch includes the first time NASA has allowed the reuse of a first stage booster and the soot from its last launch (CRS-11) has not been washed off like it usually is.        

SpaceX to launch reused Dragon spacecraft on a reused Falcon 9 booster to the ISS

SpaceX's Falcon 9 standing at SLC-40 for the first time in a year
Credit: SpaceX

CRS-13
SpaceX will be launching another resupply mission to the International Space Station using a reused Dragon spacecraft under NASA's Commercial Resupply Service contract. The mission will also include a flight-proven first stage which was previously used to launch the CRS-11 mission back in June 2017 and the Dragon spacecraft was last used to support the CRS-6 mission in April of 2015. After the first stage separates, the booster will flip around and fly back towards Cape Canaveral and perform a landing at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1). The Dragon spacecraft is filled with approximately 4,800lbs of crew supplies and experiments as well as important materials to support several science and research investigations. It will rendezvous with the ISS on December 15th and will be captured by the station's robotic arm to be berthed with the station. Dragon will stay attached to the station for about a month and will then be returned to Earth and recovered in the Pacific Ocean. The Falcon 9 will liftoff tomorrow at 11:46am EST from Space Launch Complex 40 with a backup launch for Dec. 13th at 11:24am EST. Weather is currently 90% go for the launch tomorrow.

Space Launch Complex 40
This will be the first launch from SLC-40 since the anomaly that occurred during a static fire for the launch of Amos-6 back on September 1st, 2016. The SpaceX team have been launching Falcon 9s from LC-39A in SLC-40s downtime. While launching from LC-39A, they've been working tirelessly on getting the pad functioning again as well as getting Falcon Heavy ready. Now that SLC-40 is back online, work towards the Falcon Heavy flight will start to accelerate for it's Demo flight sometime in January of 2018.