NASA
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft blasted off for its CRS-22 mission for NASA
A few hours ago the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in its CRS-22 (Cargo Resupply Service 22) mission, also referred to as SPX-22. After almost exactly 12 minutes it separated successfully from the rocket’s last stage and went en route. This is the 22nd 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 second mission for this Dragon version.
Faint interstellar plasma waves detected by NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe
An article published in the journal “Nature Astronomy” reports a study on the faint interstellar plasma waves detected by NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe. A team of researchers led by Stella Koch Ocker of Cornell University used a series of detections conducted by Voyager 1 while traveling a total distance that is about ten times the average distance of the Earth from the Sun which gives an idea of the characteristics of the interstellar plasma when it’s not altered by events related to solar activity.
The OSIRIS-REx space probe departed from asteroid Bennu
NASA has confirmed that its OSIRIS-REx space probe has left the asteroid Bennu after more than two years of study. In fact, OSIRIS-REx reached Bennu on December 3, 2018. In addition to the data collected with its instruments, OSIRIS-REx will bring back to Earth a capsule containing the Bennu samples collected on October 20, 2020. The return journey will be long because the arrival is scheduled for September 24, 2023.
Mission Crew-1 accomplished: the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft has come back to Earth
A little while ago SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft ended its Crew-1, or SpaceX Crew-1, mission on behalf of NASA by splashing down without problems. Onboard were astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi, who finished SpaceX’s first regular crewed mission in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Panama City, Florida. The Crew Dragon left the International Space Station about 6.5 hours earlier. Shortly after splashing down, the SpaceX ship called “Go Navigator” went to retrieve the Crew Dragon and its crew to transport them to the coast.
