Double Dragons: SpaceX launches space station supplies

X launched a newer, bigger version of its Dragon supply ship to International Station on Sunday, marking first time company has two capsules aloft at same time. Dragon — packed with Christmas treats and presents — should reach station on Monday, joining Dragon that delivered four astronauts last month.

“Dragons everywhere you look,” said Kenny Todd, NASA’s deputy station program manr.With NASA’s commercial crew program officially under way, X expects to always have at least one Dragon capsule at station.X’s Falcon 9 rocket blasted off with latest Dragon from NASA’s Kennedy Center, where coronavirus precautions kept staff to a minimum. first-st booster — making its fourth flight — was aiming for a touchdown on an ocean platform several minutes after liftoff. It was first used back in May for first astronaut launch by Elon Musk's company.

6,400-pound (2,900-kilogram) shipment includes billions of microbes and crushed asteroid samples for a biomining study, a new medical device to provide rapid blood test results for astronauts in , and a privately owned and operated chamber to move experiments as big as refrigerators outside orbiting lab. Forty mice also are flying for bone and eye studies, two areas of weaknesses for astronauts during long stays. Todd said all this research is “ ultimate Christmas present” for NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, a virus hunter who performed first DNA sequencing in a few years ago.

As for more personal presents for four Americans, two Russians and one Japanese on board, “I don’t like to get out in front of Santa Claus. I fear it might mess up my own Christmas,” Todd said late last week. “Let’s see what happens when y open hatch, I’m optimistic.” For astronauts' Christmas feast, Dragon is carrying roasted turkey, cornbre dressing, cranberry sauce, shortbre cookies and tubes of icing. This updated cargo-carrying model — as large as X crew capsule — will dock to orbiting lab by itself. Previous X cargo ships needed station’s robot arm for anchoring.

capsule will remain at station for about a month as usual before undocking with experiments and old equipment, and splashing into Atlantic. That’s ar change from X’s older cargo ships, which parachuted into Pacific. Returning closer to Cape Canaveral will save recycling time.This is X’s 21st station supply run for NASA since 2012. flight was delayed a day by rough wear in booster-recovery area offshore.

(Im Credit: AP)