IPFS News Link • Space Travel and Exploration
SpaceX To Launch First Space Station Mission Since Explosion, With Inflatable Habitat In Tow
• popsci.comLast June, during a routine cargo launch to the International Space Station, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket blew up two minutes after takeoff, destroying thousands of pounds of supplies. A faulty strut was to blame. After spending a few months on the ground, SpaceX has fixed the problem and resumed launching things into space. Now it looks like they're ready to go back to delivering supplies to the space station, too.
SpaceX's return to the ISS is targeted for Friday, April 8 at 4:43PM Eastern. The Dragon capsule will carry up supplies and science experiments--including, notably, a test version of Bigelow's inflatable space habitat. The experimental habitat will ride compressed in the Dragon's trunk, then expand to its full size in space. Attached to the space station, it'll add about 565 cubic feet of space to the station.



