SpaceX's Dragon Splashes Down With Cargo Intact

SpaceX's Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station successfully concluded its latest journey early on Sun morning, when the Dragon cargo sheathing splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.

Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed, carrying @NASA science and research cargo dorsum from the @Space_Station.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March nineteen, 2022

The Dragon mission is a celebrated starting time for Elon Musk'south private space company. The mission was SpaceX's first to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Eye, and the 5,500 pounds of cargo and supplies it delivered to the ISS bodes well for the company's close relationship with NASA, which does not operate its own resupply craft.

SpaceX Dragon 2 While the Dragon capsule is designed to be launched on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, it requires little more than than a crew command from the ISS and a few parachutes to render to Earth. The visitor started testing Dragon parachute-assisted landings in early 2022 past releasing dummy versions of the craft from a C-130 cargo aircraft flying at an altitude of a few thousand feet.

The real landing involved the crew releasing the capsule from the International Infinite Station in the early on hours of March 19, and information technology successfully splashed downwardly off the declension of Baja, California, almost half-dozen hours later at vii:46 a.m. local fourth dimension on March xx.

Amid the Dragon'due south cargo were stem jail cell samples that could help cancer research and satellite equipment to be repaired. In a argument, NASA said it has high hopes for Dragon since it is among the get-go arts and crafts that can safely return cargo from space. About supply missions to the ISS are flown using Russian-build Progress arts and crafts, which are designed to burn up upon reentry.

Somewhen, SpaceX hopes to complete successful Dragon landings on solid ground, using 8 small engines for maneuverability.