Yesterday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft ended its CRS-2 (Cargo Resupply Service 2) mission for NASA splashing down with no problems in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California a few hours after leaving the International Space Station. Shortly afterwards, the Dragon was recovered by the SpaceX ship that will transport it back to shore.
The Dragon spacecraft reached the International Space Station on March 3, overcoming problems that had threatened to derail its mission. According to the original plan, it was supposed to leave on March 25 and that date was maintained despite the delay in the arrival to the Station. It was the bad weather in the area where the Dragon was to arrive that forced the decision to postpone the return to Earth.
The cargo brought back to Earth by spacecraft Dragon is nearly 1,400 kg (more than 3,000 pounds) of which about 660 kg (1,450 pounds) are scientific experiments. Some biological samples were placed in the Dragon freezer and one of the most important checks concerns their proper maintenance at low temperatures.
In the previous mission, sea water entered the spaceship after splashdown causing a loss of power in the freezer. Nevertheless, the content was maintained at sufficiently low temperatures to avoid damage but obviously that was a problem. Consequently, changes were made in the freezer system to prevent this from happening again.
This mission has demonstrated the SpaceX team skills to overcome problems and unexpected events but it’s clear that the engineers at SpaceX will have to modify something in the e Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system to reduce the risk that they get stuck again during one of future missions.
The next launch to the International Space Station is scheduled for September but obviously the plans may be modified after the analyzes of the CRS-2 mission will be concluded, meaning the data collected by the computers and the physical inspection of the Dragon.
For the moment, SpaceX is the only american company that can perform this type of mission. The next month there could be the test launch of the Orbital Science’s Cygnus spacecraft but even if it all goes well it will take some more months before it can bring a cargo to the International Space Station. Regardless, the Dragon will remain for who knows how long the only spacecraft able to bring an intact cargo back on Earth.
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