After one month of being attached to the International Space Station, the SpaceX Dragon capsule has finally returned to Earth. This is the second time the private space firm reused a Dragon capsule for a resupply mission which it successfully completed.
The capsule is part of the CRS-13 mission resupply mission sent up 4,800 pounds of cargo to the ISS back in Dec. 17, 2018. The capsule splashed down on the Pacific Ocean just before 11 a.m. last Saturday and was quickly recovered by the company. The capsule showed a little wear and tear from the reentry looking more or less like a toasted marshmallow.
However, it was successful in protecting the over 4,100 pounds of cargo which are mostly the results of various scientific experiments, including an attempt to 3D print optical fiber in space. It also carried a bunch of mice treated with various medications that may help alleviate muscle loss during extended stays in a weightless environment. The successful reentry signifies a step toward in the reusability of space technology that will make future scientific research and space travel, easier, cheaper, and more frequent. The fact that the reentry’s announcement came from Twitter just shows the popular nature of SpaceX.
Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing the second resupply mission to and from the @Space_Station with a flight-proven commercial spacecraft.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 13, 2018
This isn’t the first time that the company reused a Dragon capsule for a space mission. A capsule was used by the company…
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