The SpaceX Dragon 25 cargo capsule docked at the International Space Station (ISS) some 36 hours after its launch. The launch was delayed for five weeks to address a leak in the capsule’s propulsion system which was caused by a valve that was not closing tightly and had to be replaced.
But SpaceX also decided to replace the parachutes on the off-chance that they might have been affected by the leak.
The capsule carries a little more than 2,600 kilograms of cargo on board. These include supplies for the crew; the EMIT instrument to measure dust particles in the atmosphere and the impact on climate change; various science experiments and CubeSats; an electric switch to replace a damaged one on the Station’s S6 segment; as well as two refurbished spacesuits to provide more options, since those on board are giving problems.
At 11:21am ET, @SpaceX's Dragon docked to the @Space_Station. The cargo spacecraft is delivering supplies and @ISS_Research including EMIT, a new instrument designed to study the role that dust plays in Earth's weather and climate systems. pic.twitter.com/NdmFQNM1v0
— NASA (@NASA) July 16, 2022
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This is logical, though, since they are already of an age; in fact, for some time now, they have had serious problems keeping a sufficient number of suits in working condition.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 that launched it, B1067, was flying for the fifth time into space. Earlier launches included Dragon 22; the Crew-3 manned mission; the Turksat 5B telecommunications satellite; and the Crew-4 manned mission.
Having completed its mission, it touched down on the A Shortfall of Gravitas floating spacecraft, so it will be ready for an upcoming mission.
Dragon 25 is docked to the station for a month while the crew empties it and puts inside it the material that is to be returned. Among them will be the EMU 3015 spacesuit, which experienced a water leak last March while Matthias Maurer was wearing it.
