SpaceX Dragon Arrives Safely at ISS on This Week @NASA – April 15, 2016

TL;DR

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft successfully reaches the International Space Station with 7,000 pounds of scientific investigations, including the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” The SpaceX Dragon U.S. commercial cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station April 10 -- two days after being launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Dragon was captured with the space station’s robotic Canadarm2 by Tim Peake of ESA (European Space Agency),... Read More

Key Insights

• 💋 The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft successfully reached the International Space Station, marking the first time two U.S. commercial cargo craft have been docked simultaneously.
• 👾 BEAM, a testing module for expandable habitat technology, will undergo a two-year testing period on the space station.
• 🎟️ NASA received the John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration for the New Horizons mission's Pluto flyby.
• 👶 President Obama announced new commitments to support computer science education and STEM subjects at the White House Science Fair.
• 👾 The USA Science and Engineering Festival provided interactive NASA exhibits for visitors to learn about space exploration, including the journey to Mars.
• 🤗 The Mars Ascent Vehicle Challenge and Student Launch competition engaged students in hands-on activities related to space exploration.
• 🌑 570 new meteorite samples, including rare pieces from Mars and the moon, arrived at Johnson Space Center for further study.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the purpose of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM)?

The BEAM is a testing module that will be attached to the space station's Harmony module for a two-year testing period. It aims to assess the feasibility of expandable habitat technology for future long-duration space missions.

Q: Who captured the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft using the Canadarm2 robotic arm?

Tim Peake of the European Space Agency (ESA), with assistance from NASA's Jeff Williams, captured the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft using the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Q: What award did NASA receive at the 32nd Space Symposium?

NASA and members of the New Horizons mission received the John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration in recognition of the first-ever flyby of dwarf planet Pluto.

Q: What commitments did President Obama announce at the White House Science Fair?

President Obama announced new commitments in support of the Administration's Computer Science for All initiative and the "Educate to Innovate" campaign, both aimed at inspiring more students to excel in STEM subjects.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked at the International Space Station after being launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

• The cargo craft carried approximately 7,000 pounds of science and research investigations, including the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM).

• This is the first time two U.S. commercial cargo craft (SpaceX Dragon and Orbital ATK's Cygnus) have been docked to the space station simultaneously.