Cargo spaceship

The Dragon cargo spacecraft blasting off for its CRS-20 mission atop a Falcon 9 rocket (Photo NASA)

1

A few hours ago the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in its CRS-20 (Cargo Resupply Service 20) mission, also referred to as SPX-20. After just over ten minutes it separated successfully from the rocket’s last stage and went en route. This is the 20th mission for the Dragon spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station with various cargoes and then return to Earth, again with various cargoes. It’s the last mission for this Dragon version, which will be replaced by Dragon 2 from the next mission.

The Cygnus "Robert Lawrence" cargo spacecraft captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm (Image NASA TV)

1

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, launched last Saturday, February 15, has just reached the International Space Station and was captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Astronaut Andrew Morgan, assisted by his colleague Jessica Meir, will soon begin the slow maneuver to move the Cygnus until it docks with the Station’s Unity module after about two hours.

The Cygnus cargo spacecraft blasting off atop an Antares rocket to start its NG-13 mission (Image NASA TV)

1

A little while ago Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft blasted off atop an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), part of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) on Wallops Island. After about nine minutes it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage went en route to its destination. This is its 13th official mission, called NG-13 or CRS NG-13, to transport supplies to the International Space Station for NASA.

The Dragon cargo spacecraft leaving the International Space Station to end its CRS-19 mission (Image NASA TV)

1

A little while ago the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft ended its CRS-19 (Cargo Resupply Service 19) mission for NASA splashing down smoothly in the Pacific Ocean almost 500 kilometers (about 300 miles) off the coast of California. The Dragon left the International Space Station a few hours earlier.

Shortly after landing, SpaceX boats went to retrieve the Dragon to transport it to the coast. The cargo brought back to Earth will be delivered to NASA soon, probably tomorrow. The Dragon spacecraft reached the International Space Station on December 8, 2019.