The next research to monitor climate change is scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station by NASA and SpaceX on Thursday, July 14, at 8:44 p.m. EDT (5:44 p.m. PDT). Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) is the name of the project that will be carried out by NASA and will be transported to the orbiting laboratory by SpaceX on their 25th commercial resupply services flight.
Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is where the Dragon spacecraft manufactured by SpaceX will take off from in order to deliver new scientific investigations, supplies, and equipment to the international crew. One of these new scientific investigations will focus on climate research.
Live coverage will be broadcast on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the website of the agency beginning on Wednesday, July 13, with the beginning of prelaunch events.
Dragon will carry cargo weighing more than 5,800 pounds, including a variety of NASA investigations such as EMIT, which will identify the composition of mineral dust from Earth’s arid regions and analyse dust carried through the atmosphere from deserts to see what effects it has on the planet, further advancing NASA’s data contributions to monitoring climate change. Dragon will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A student experiment is testing a concrete alternative for potential use in future lunar and Martian habitats. Other investigations include a study of the ageing of immune cells and the potential to reverse those effects during postflight recovery; a CubeSat that will monitor cloud top and ocean surface temperatures, which could help scientists understand Earth’s climate and weather systems; and an investigation into the possibility of reversing the effects of ageing during postflight recovery.
On Saturday, July 16, roughly 11:20 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time is the estimated time of arrival at the station. Dragon will dock by itself to the forward-facing port of the Harmony module on the space station, while NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines will watch activities from the space station.
It is anticipated that the spacecraft will remain docked with the orbiting outpost for approximately one month before beginning its journey back to Earth, where it will arrive off the coast of Florida carrying research and return goods.
The following provides comprehensive coverage of this mission: (all times Eastern). The coverage may shift at any time in response to real-time changes in operating activity. Keep up with the latest happenings aboard the International Space Station by reading their blog.
