A SpaceX Dragon capsule returned to Earth on Friday after staying more than a month at the International Space Station.
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About spending a little over a month on ISS, Dragon splashed down in Pacific Ocean at 11:47 a.m. EDT southwest of Baja California with more than 3,000 pounds of NASA cargo, science and technology demonstration samples. NASA did not say exactly where in Los Angeles the Dragon will dock, although SpaceX has a facility near Long Beach.
“That research explored how microgravity affects human heart cells and alters gene expression and DNA in mice”. The IDAs will be used by commercial spacecraft now in development for transporting astronauts to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Dragon delivered numerous science experiments on July 20 that space station astronauts immediately unloaded and began working on. Samples from Multi-Omics experiment were also included in the cargo. These heart cells will now be studied for cellular and molecular changes with a view to better understanding heart disease and advancing drugs and cell replacement therapy to treat it.
The initial adapter was installed during an August 19 spacewalk by Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA. NASA officials mentioned two, in particular: a mouse epigenetics study and a heart cells study.
SpaceX’s Dragon is especially vital to NASA’s scientific research because it is the only capsule able to safely return cargo to Earth.
The Dragon launched early July 18 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, and berthed at the station two days later.
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Astronauts on the space station had a busy week preparing the Dragon space capsule for its return to Earth, and their work is far from over.
