closed cargo Dragon CRS-24 SpaceX scheduled to land in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida on Monday January 24, 2022 at 4:05 p.m. local time. The spacecraft carried more than 4,900 pounds (2,200 kilograms) of science experiment results and other station equipment back to Earth.
“Dragon’s descent confirmed,” NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn said over Mission Control radio from the International Space Station as the SpaceX capsule was released. The position of Dragon and the International Space Station at the time of launch was over the South Pacific Ocean.
“Expedition 66 congratulate Dragon. Congratulations to Houston and SpaceX. Can’t wait to see what the outcome is,” Marshburn told Mission Control on behalf of the station’s Expedition 66 crew.
(Read also; Florida Hit by Strong Winds, SpaceX Delays Return of Dragon CRS-24 Cargo to Earth )
SpaceX launched the cargo ship Dragon CRS-24 on December 21, 2021 to deliver more than 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg) of supplies, science equipment, and other hardware. The Dragon cargo plane arrived at the International Space Station on December 23, 2021 to complete its delivery, which also included several Christmas gifts for the station crew.
The Dragon spaceship has visited the space station before. SpaceX used it to deliver cargo for NASA on its CRS-22 delivery mission in June 2021. Some of the cargo that returned to Earth carried the much-anticipated science results.
Packaged atop the capsule is the result of a study called the “Cytoskeleton” to study how weight affects mammalian cells. Science that could one day help astronauts on long-term space missions.
Results from another study, called InSpace-4, could help scientists develop new ways to use nanoparticles to build new materials for spaceflight.
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