SpaceX CRS-15, also known as SpX-15, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station launched 29 June 2018 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.[1] The mission was contracted by NASA and flown by SpaceX.
 Dragon spacecraft on approach to ISS | |
| Names | SpX-15 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | ISS resupply |
| Operator | SpaceX |
| COSPAR ID | 2018-055A |
| SATCAT no. | 43522 |
| Mission duration | 35 days, 12 hours, 35 minutes |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Dragon 1 C111 |
| Spacecraft type | Dragon 1 |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Dry mass | 4,200 kg (9,300 lb) |
| Dimensions | Height: 6.1 m (20 ft) Diameter: 3.7 m (12 ft) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 29 June 2018, 09:42 UTC[1] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Full Thrust Block 4 (B1045) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Recovered |
| Landing date | 3 August 2018, 22:17 UTC[2] |
| Landing site | Pacific Ocean off Baja California |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Inclination | 51.6° |
| Berthing at ISS | |
| Berthing port | Harmony nadir |
| RMS capture | 2 July 2018, 10:54 UTC[3] |
| Berthing date | 2 July 2018, 13:50 UTC[3] |
| Unberthing date | 3 August 2018 |
| RMS release | 3 August 2018, 16:38 UTC[2] |
| Time berthed | 31 days |
| Cargo | |
| Mass | 2,697 kg (5,946 lb) |
| Pressurised | 1,712 kg (3,774 lb) |
| Unpressurised | 985 kg (2,172 lb) |
 NASA SpX-15 mission patch | |
Launch
editIn early 2015, NASA awarded a contract extension to SpaceX for three additional CRS missions (CRS-13 to CRS-15).[4] In June 2016, a NASA Inspector General report had this mission manifested for April 2018,[5] but this was pushed back, first to 6 June, to 9 June, to 28 June and finally to 29 June 2018.[6]
The mission launched on 29 June 2018 at 09:42 UTC aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40.[1] The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft rendezvoused with the International Space Station on 2 July 2018. It was captured by the Canadarm2 at 10:54 UTC and was berthed to the Harmony node at 13:50 UTC.[3] On 3 August 2018, Dragon was released from ISS at 16:38 UTC and deorbited, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean approximately 5 hours later at 22:17 UTC, returning more than 1,700 kg (3,748 lb) of cargo to Earth.[2]
It is reported that the Dragon spacecraft may have experienced some parachute anomaly during its flight to the ISS, but it did not prevent the capsule from successful splashdown.[7]
Payload
editNASA contracted for the CRS-15 mission from SpaceX and therefore determined the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule. According to a NASA mission overview, CRS-15 carried a total of 2,697 kg (5,946 lb) of total cargo, divided between 1,712 kg (3,774 lb) of pressurized material and 985 kg (2,172 lb) of unpressurized cargo.[8] The external payloads manifested for this flight were ECOSTRESS[9][10] and a Latching End Effector for Canadarm2.[8] CubeSats included on this flight were three Biarri-Squad satellites built by Boeing for a multinational partnership led by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, and three satellites making up the Japanese-sponsored Birds-2 program: BHUTAN-1 from Bhutan, Maya-1 from the Philippines, and UiTMSAT-1 from Malaysia.[11] Furthermore, it contained an interactive artwork by artist Nahum entitled The Contour of Presence, a collaboration with the International Space University, Space Application Services and the European Space Agency.[12]
The following is a breakdown of cargo bound for the ISS:[8]
- Science investigations: 1,233 kg (2,718 lb)
- Crew supplies: 205 kg (452 lb)
- Vehicle hardware: 178 kg (392 lb)
- Spacewalk equipment: 63 kg (139 lb)
- Computer resources: 21 kg (46 lb)
- Russian hardware: 12 kg (26 lb)
- External payloads: 985 kg (2,172 lb)
- ECOSTRESS: 550 kg (1,213 lb)
- Latching End Effector: 435 kg (959 lb)
Gallery
edit-
CRS-15 ascending into space
-
Dragon approaching the ISS
-
Dragon docked to the ISS
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Clark, Stephen (29 June 2018). "SpaceX launches AI-enabled robot companion, vegetation monitor to space station". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
- ^ a b c Clark, Stephen (3 August 2018). "SpaceX cargo capsule comes back to Earth from space station". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- ^ a b c Gebhardt, Chris (2 July 2018). "SpaceX CRS-15 Dragon arrives at ISS with science/crew supply payloads". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
- ^ de Selding, Peter B. (24 February 2016). "SpaceX wins 5 new space station cargo missions in NASA contract estimated at $700 million". SpaceNews. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ NASA Office of Inspector General (28 June 2016). NASA's Response to SpaceX's June 2015 Launch Failure: Impacts on Commercial Resupply of the International Space Station (PDF) (Report). NASA Office of Inspector General. p. 13. Report No. IG-16-025. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (4 June 2018). "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018.
- ^ Berger, Eric (7 March 2019). "Dragon has docked—but the real pucker moment for SpaceX's capsule awaits". Ars Technica. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ a b c "SpaceX CRS-15 Mission Overview" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Kenol, Jules; Love, John (2016). Research Capability of ISS for a Wide Spectrum of Science Disciplines, Including Materials Science (PDF). Materials in the Space Environment Workshop. 17 May 2016. Italian Space Agency, Rome.
- ^ Scimemi, Sam (July 2016). International Space Station Status July 2016 (PDF) (Technical report). NASA. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ^ Graham, William (28 June 2018). "Final Block 4 Falcon 9 launches CRS-15 Dragon". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ ""It's official: I have an artwork in outer space"". Makery. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
External links
editMedia related to SpaceX CRS-15 at Wikimedia Commons
- Dragon website at SpaceX.com
- Commercial Resupply Services at NASA.gov