SpaceX will launch its 26th cargo mission to the International Space Station for bringing food and supplies to the crew.

Beyond the external cargo, CRS-26 is prepared to deliver a second pair of new solar arrays using XTJ Prime space solar cells. They will be delivered to the station in the unpressurized trunk of the SpaceX Cargo Dragon spacecraft. The installation of these new solar arrays will require two spacewalks: one to prepare the worksite with a modification kit and another to install the new panel.

The new experiments arriving at the orbiting laboratory will inspire future scientists and explorers, and provide valuable insight for researchers.

CubeSats planned for this mission: - TJREVERB, a 2U cubesat built by students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

Cargo Dragon v2

This is the second generation of SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

Dragon 2 comes in two different types, each based on the same overall design. One variant is built to carry crew, called Crew Dragon. The other version is for cargo-only missions to the ISS.

Like Crew Dragon, Dragon 2 cargo capsules can be used up to five times, can autonomously dock and undock themselves from the ISS, and can bring thousands of kilograms of science and equipment safely back to Earth.

The capsules splashdown off the coast of Florida near the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center to speed up recovery and refurbishment time between flights.

Photo: CRS-22 Dragon. Credit: John Kraus/Supercluster

Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond.

Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket.

Stats

Total launches: 393

Total landings: 349

Total reflights: 324

The Falcon 9 has launched 52 humans into orbit since May 2020

Specs

Height: 70 m / 229.6 ft

Diameter: 3.7 m / 12 ft

Mass: 549,054 kg / 1,207,920 lb

Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 22,800 kg / 50,265 lb

Payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO): 8,300 kg / 18,300 lb

Payload to Mars: 4,020 kg / 8,860 lb

On January 24, 2021, Falcon 9 launched the first ride-share mission to Sun Synchronous Orbit. It was delivering a record-setting 143 satellites to space. And while this was an important mission for SpaceX in itself, it was also the moment Falcon 9 overtook United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V for the total number of consecutive successful launches.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 had become America’s workhorse rocket, launching 31 times in 2021. It has already beaten that record this year, launching almost an average of once a week. While most of the launches deliver Starlink satellites to orbit, the company is still launching the most commercial payloads to orbit, too.

Falcon 9 is a medium-lift launch vehicle, with the capability to launch over 22.8 metric tonnes to low earth orbit. Unlike any other rocket, its first stage lands back on Earth after separating from its second stage. In part, this allows SpaceX to offer the cheapest option for most customers with payloads that need to reach orbit.

Under its ride-share program, a kilogram can be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit for a mere 1.1 million dollars, far cheaper than all other currently operating small satellite launch vehicles.

The reusability and fast booster turnaround times have made Falcon 9 the preferred choice for private companies and government agencies. This has allowed SpaceX to capture a huge portion of the launch market.

Photo courtesy of John Kraus for Supercluster.

Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is a historic launch site located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Originally constructed in the late 1960s, LC-39A was designed to support the Apollo program, including the groundbreaking Apollo 11 mission that first landed humans on the Moon in 1969. The pad also played a crucial role in launching Skylab missions and was instrumental during the Space Shuttle era, including the launch of the first Space Shuttle, Columbia, on STS-1 in 1981.

In 2014, SpaceX leased LC-39A from NASA and undertook extensive refurbishments to adapt the pad for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. These upgrades involved significant modifications to the pad's infrastructure to meet the requirements of SpaceX’s rockets. Since then, LC-39A has become a vital launch site for SpaceX, supporting a range of missions including crewed flights under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Under SpaceX's management, LC-39A has been the site of several landmark events. It hosted the first Falcon 9 launch from the pad on March 30, 2017, and was the launch site for the historic Falcon Heavy debut on February 6, 2018, which was the most powerful rocket in operation at that time. Additionally, LC-39A was the launch site for the first crewed flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 30, 2020, marking the first crewed spaceflight from U.S. soil since the end of the Shuttle program.

Today, LC-39A remains a critical asset for SpaceX, supporting both crewed and uncrewed missions. It continues to serve as a launch site for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and is expected to play a central role in future missions, including those aimed at lunar exploration and beyond. The pad's rich history and ongoing significance highlight its importance in the broader context of space exploration.

Photo courtesy of Erik Kuna for Supercluster

The Harmony module, also known within NASA as Node-2, was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in October 2007 on the STS-120 mission of Shuttle Discovery.

Harmony serves as the gateway between the US scientific and living modules and the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory and Japan's Kibo complex.

The module is equipped with two docking ports for US crew (Dragon and Starliner) and cargo (Dragon) spacecraft and also has one berthing port that can be used for either Northrop Grumman's Cygnus or Japan's HTV cargo ships.

Picture: A cargo Dragon docked to Harmony's zenith, or space-facing docking port. Part of Japan's Kibo complex can been seen to the left of Dragon. Credit: NASA

The Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship "Just Read The Instructions" (JRTI) is one of two recovery ships stationed in the Atlantic Ocean for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets. The original version of JRTI operated in the Pacific Ocean, supporting launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It was later upgraded and relocated to the East Coast, primarily operating out of Port Canaveral, Florida. Its first Atlantic Ocean mission was in June 2020, supporting the 8th Starlink launch.

JRTI is an autonomous vessel serving as a mobile landing platform, crucial to SpaceX's efforts to recover and reuse rocket components, which significantly reduces spaceflight costs. The ship's name, "Just Read The Instructions," is inspired by a spacecraft in Iain M. Banks' *Culture* series, known for its whimsical and thought-provoking names.

Equipped with a large landing platform and advanced navigation systems, JRTI uses thrusters to maintain precise positioning, even in rough seas. It works in tandem with the other SpaceX drone ship, "A Shortfall of Gravitas" (ASOG), both of which have been instrumental in SpaceX's success in landing and reusing rocket boosters.

Photo courtesy of SpaceX