SPACEX LAUNCHES NEW CARGO DRAGON TO SPACE STATION FOR 100TH SUCCESSFUL FALCON 9 FLIGHT

SpaceX  launched its 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission for NASA to the International Space Station on Sunday, using a brand new variant of its Dragon capsule spacecraft. This new cargo Dragon has a greater carrying capacity and can dock fully autonomously with the Space Station, both improvements over the last iteration.

This is the first launch for this redesigned cargo Dragon, and also the first mission for SpaceX’s new series of CRS missions under a renewed contract with NASA. It’s carrying 6,400 lbs of both supplies for the Space Station and its crew, as well as experimental supplies and equipment for the research being done on the Station. This version of Dragon can carry 20% more than the last cargo spacecraft from SpaceX,  and it also has twice the number of powered lockers for climate-controlled transportation of experimental material.