Pre-Launch Status of Next Space Station Supply Mission

TL;DR

Tomorrow's SpaceX CRS-11 mission will carry over 1700kg of cargo, including 213 investigations, to the International Space Station.

Transcript

good afternoon and welcome to nasa's kennedy space center in florida for the spacex crs 11 pre-launch news conference we're all excited and ready for the launch tomorrow of the 11th commercial resupply services mission to the international space station and here to tell us more about it today we are pleased to be joined by to my left kirk shireman ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎟️ The CRS-11 mission will carry over 1700kg of cargo and 213 investigations to the ISS.
• 👾 Reusing the Dragon capsule demonstrates the focus on reusability in the space industry.
• 👾 The ROSA experiment will test a lightweight solar array system and study its dynamics in space.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the significance of reusing the Dragon capsule for the CRS-11 mission?

Reusing the capsule is important for economic and technical reasons. It demonstrates the goal of reusability in the space industry and helps reduce costs.

Q: How did SpaceX refurbish the previously flown Dragon capsule for this mission?

The majority of the components on the Dragon capsule are reused from previous missions, with some avionics and external parts replaced or repaired.

Q: What is the purpose of the ROSA experiment on this mission?

The ROSA experiment aims to test the deployment and retraction of a lightweight solar array system in space. It will study the energetics and dynamics of the solar array once deployed.

Q: How will the cargo in the trunk be disposed of at the end of the mission?

After the experiments have been conducted, the cargo in the trunk, including the ROSA experiment, will be placed back in the trunk and burned up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The CRS-11 mission is set to launch tomorrow evening, carrying over 1700kg of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).

• The cargo includes 213 different investigations, with 65 brand new investigations never before conducted on the ISS.

• The mission will also carry three unique payloads in the trunk, including the NICER, ROSA, and MUSES experiments.