NASA's SpaceX 29th CRS mission carries science to Space Station on Nov 9

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, ready for lift off from from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 9, on the company’s 29th Commercial Resupply Services mission. (Image courtesy: SpaceX.com)

The uncrewed SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is set to launch NASA's 29th commercial resupply services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 9. This mission, CRS-29, seeks to advance research with significant potential benefits for humanity, exploring laser communications, water filtration technology, gravity waves, drug delivery, and the impact of space travel on ovarian health.

Tech aboard: NASA's high-speed laser communications and atmospheric study

Loaded with over 6,500 pounds of cargo, SpaceX's Dragon carries scientific research, crew supplies, and hardware to support the Expedition 70 crew on the Space Station. It includes NASA's Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) for high data rate laser communications between the station and Earth. And, the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) focuses on studying atmospheric gravity waves to understand energy flow in Earth's upper atmosphere and space.

Cargo arrival set for November 11 after rescheduled launch

Initially planned for November 5, the cargo launch was rescheduled to November 7, and further delayed to November 9 for prelaunch processing preparation. The SpaceX cargo is expected to reach the Space Station on November 11 if all goes according to plan.

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Return journey: Dragon to bring back research findings and 3,800 pounds of cargo

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft approximately one month after spending its time attached to the orbiting laboratory, will return to Earth, carrying research and around 3,800 pounds of return cargo.

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Launch coverage on multiple platforms

Live coverage of the launch will be available on various NASA platforms - NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and on the agency’s website - with prelaunch events starting November 8.