The Roscosmos Progress 86 cargo spacecraft, which is carrying roughly three tonnes of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 70 crew on the International Space Station, will be launched and docked live by NASA.
The unmanned spacecraft is set to take off on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, December 1 at 4:25 a.m. EST (2:25 p.m. Baikonur time).
On the web or the NASA app, NASA coverage will start at 4 a.m. on the NASA+ streaming service. Live coverage will also be available on the agency’s website, YouTube, and NASA Television. Discover how to watch NASA TV on a range of devices, such as social media.
After a two-day, 34-orbit flight to the station, the Progress spacecraft will automatically dock with the Poisk module at 6:14 a.m. December 3, a Sunday. The agency’s website and NASA Television will start airing coverage of the rendezvous and docking at 5:30 a.m.
After spending about half a year in orbit around the laboratory, the spacecraft will undock and make a hazardous but safe re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to release the trash that the crew has loaded.
Research not conceivable on Earth is made possible by the fusion of science, technology, and human ingenuity that is the International Space Station. NASA has enabled a continual American presence in the orbiting laboratory for almost 23 years, enabling people to get experience living and working in space for lengthy periods. The space station serves as a launchpad for NASA’s upcoming major exploration initiatives, such as the Artemis missions to the Moon and eventually Mars, as well as the creation of commercial space destinations and a low Earth orbit economy.
Dragon Cargo Spacecraft
Cargo is transported to and returned from the International Space Station by SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Dragon is a rocket that the corporation launches on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. It carries hardware, food, and supplies for the station along with scientific and research projects. Environmentally sensitive cargo can be transported in the pressurized Dragon capsule, while all unpressurized freight is transported in the trunk.
Astronauts on board Dragon observe procedures as it autonomously docks to the orbiting laboratory.
Up to seven people can travel to and from Earth orbit and beyond in the Dragon spacecraft. It is the first private spaceship to carry passengers to the space station and the only one that is currently in operation that can return substantial amounts of goods to Earth.
The first private spaceship to send astronauts into orbit was Dragon, a privately developed spacecraft constructed by the American company SpaceX. December 8, 2010, saw the launch of the first of two test flights; on May 22, 2012, a second test flight carrying cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) was launched. On May 30, 2020, the first crewed trip was launched, delivering astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken to the International Space Station.
Dragon on a salvage vessel
On December 8, 2010, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft made its first successful orbital trip and docked on a recovery ship’s deck.
Dragon features an unpressurized, cylindrical trunk in the back and a pressurized, bell-shaped forward chamber. The spacecraft is powered by two solar arrays that are fixed to the trunk. Supplies for the ISS can be transported by Dragon up to 6,000 kg (13,000 pounds).
Through 2020, SpaceX and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will collaborate on 20 unmanned Dragon trips to the International Space Station.
At the International Space Station is SpaceX Dragon.
The SpaceX Dragon supply spacecraft was retrieved from the International Space Station by NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Jeff Williams.
Dragon 2 replaced the original Dragon configuration. It comes in two flavors: Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon. Seven astronauts can be accommodated on Crew Dragon. An unmanned demonstration The Crew Dragon and the ISS docked in March 2019.
The first fully operational trip, Crew-1, launched in November 2020 and carried four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The first Crew Dragon 2 voyage with two astronauts, Demo-2, launched in May 2020. The goal is to launch Crew Dragons to the ISS once every six months. ISS supplies will be transported by the other version, Cargo Dragon.
Dragon is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, using a Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which is also built by SpaceX. When its mission is over, Dragon splashes down in the water.