SpaceX: new successful supply of the ISS for the Dragon capsule

 Launched on July 25 with the Falcon 9 rocket from the base in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the SpaceX Dragon capsule arrived at the ISS on Saturday, July 27, and was successfully captured using the Canadarm robotic arm 2.

the 18 th refueling mission to the ISS under the COTS program marks a new record for SpaceX. This was indeed the third mission for this Dragon capsule, which had already been used for freight transport to the ISS on April 2015 and in December 2017.

A new step for SpaceX

The Dragon capsule was not alone in this case since it was also the second mission for the first floor of the Falcon 9 which could also be recovered again successfully, as we reveal this tweet of the American firm.

Falcon 9 booster has landed on Landing Zone 1! pic.twitter.com/GWkUKgceSU

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 25, 2019

This CRS-18 mission is, therefore, a bit peculiar for SpaceX, which is once again making a breakthrough in the reuse of its various equipment, a key objective for Elon Musk's company.

More than two tons of materials and equipment

After two days of travel, the Dragon capsule arrived safely at the International Space Station and docked with the Canadarm 2 robotic arm. It carries exactly 2 268 kg of material, food and basic necessities, but also and especially scientific equipment that will allow many experiments on board.

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Foam and stem cells on the way to the ISS

Among these experiments, astronauts will try to manufacture human tissue using a 3D printer, they will also study the impact of microgravity on regeneration processes and healing of the skin. Finally, they will lead a rather fun experiment to " develop educational videos and digital content " on the behavior of microgravity fluids. For this, they will use the famous Green Slime, a green liquid used very often to make gags on the Nickelodeon children's channel.

Slime in space? Yes! Take a look behind the scenes as researchers prepare to send Nickelodeon's iconic slime to the ISS National Lab onboard the SpaceX #Dragon! Stay tuned to learn how non-newtonian fluids behave in microgravity. Who is going to get slimed?#slimeinspace pic.twitter.com/daOWyQq5xJ

— ISS National Lab (@ISS_CASIS) July 19, 2019

 While waiting for the ISS crew to play "Slime pong," NASA officials said the Dragon capsule should remain stowed for about a month at the ISS. After this term, she should return to Earth and land in the Pacific Ocean.