Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 7 June 2017

Space station welcomes 1st returning vehicle since shuttle

MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
(AP) — The International
Space Station welcomed
its first returning vehicle in
years Monday — a SpaceX
Dragon capsule making its
second delivery.
Space shuttle Atlantis was
the last repeat visitor six
years ago. It’s now a mu-
seum relic at NASA’s Ken-
nedy Space Center.
NASA astronaut Jack Fisch-
er noted “the special sig-
nificance” of SpaceX’s re-
cycling effort as soon as he
caught the Dragon supply
ship with the station’s big
robot arm.
“That’s right, it’s flying its
second mission,” Fischer
said. “We have a new gen-
eration of vehicles now led
by commercial partners
like SpaceX.”
SpaceX is working to reuse
as many parts of its rockets
and spacecraft as possible A SpaceX Dragon approaches the International Space Station on Monday, June 5, 2017, making an unprecedented second trip to
to slash launch costs. The the orbiting outpost. The Dragon supply ship, recycled following a 2014 flight, was launched from Florida on Saturday.
Associated Press
California-based company
launched its first recycled
booster with a satellite in days after launching from it for an unprecedented loss study, while the flies are normal to reuse rockets.
March; another will fly in a Florida. This same capsule second trip, keeping the flying so researchers can Good. That’s how it is for
few weeks. dropped off a shipment in hull, thrusters and most study their hearts in weight- cars & airplanes and how
The Dragon pulled up two 2014. SpaceX refurbished other parts but replacing lessness. Even more than it should be for rockets,”
the heat shield and para- mice and rats, the hearts of SpaceX founder and chief
chutes. fruit flies are similar in many executive Elon Musk said
Until their retirement in ways to the human heart, via Twitter following Satur-
2011, NASA’s shuttles beating at about the same day’s liftoff of the Dragon
made multiple flights to rate, for instance. and landing of the Falcon
the space station. This new Some of these animals will rocket’s first stage.
6,000-pound shipment in- return to Earth aboard the Musk said the latest touch-
cludes live lab animals: 40 Dragon in about a month. down was “pretty much
Lipstixaruba@outlook.com mice, 400 adult fruit flies SpaceX officials anticipate dead center” at the
and 2,000 fruit fly eggs that using Dragon capsules as SpaceX landing zone at
should hatch any day. The many as three times. Cape Canaveral Air Force
mice are part of a bone “It’s starting to feel kinda Station.q