SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on Tuesday, October 13, carrying a Dragon cargo spacecraft filled with supplies and scientific equipment for astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at around 6:35 am EDT (10:35 GMT) on Tuesday. Florida Today reported that the launch was scheduled for 6:33 am from Launch Complex 40.
One experiment will focus on manufacturing artificial retinas in microgravity, or very low-gravity conditions, which could help scientists develop ways to restore vision on Earth, according to NASA officials in a CRS-35 launch preview published on October 7. The CRS-35 mission is part of NASA’s ongoing effort to keep the ISS supplied and support scientific research in space. The mission will send essential supplies, research equipment and scientific experiments to astronauts living and working aboard the ISS. The mission will also carry scientific equipment to help researchers study ways to improve human health. The spacecraft will also carry materials to create 3D heart tissue models. These models could help researchers improve drug testing during future space missions. Another experiment will study how a new type of glass forms in microgravity. The Dragon spacecraft will also transport brain organoids, which are small, lab-grown models of brain tissue. Researchers will study them to identify possible treatment targets for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. Unlike several other cargo spacecraft, SpaceX’s Dragon can bring equipment and scientific materials back to Earth. This makes it important for researchers who need to recover experiments for further study.
Scientists hope to understand how materials behave differently in space compared with conditions on Earth, according to NASA officials. Its cargo includes equipment for power generation, medical research and materials science, helping astronauts continue experiments that could benefit people on Earth, according to NASA’s mission preview. The cargo will help support their daily needs and ongoing research in space, according to Space.com and Florida Today.
