SpaceX launches cargo Dragon carrying final pair of new ISS solar arrays

A Falcon 9 rocket launched a cargo Dragon into orbit on October 13. It is carrying more than 6,300 pounds of equipment and supplies to the International Space Station, including the final pair of iROSA solar arrays.

Liftoff took place at 6:33 a.m. EDT from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The first stage returned and landed near the launch site. Dragon continued its independent flight towards the station.

Automated docking at the space-facing port of the Harmony module is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at 11 a.m. EDT. The cargo includes experiment materials, spacewalk equipment, spare parts and food for the crew.

Installation of six iROSA arrays began during spacewalks in June 2021. The seventh and eighth are due to be installed later in October and early November. Each new array generates 20 kilowatts and works alongside exposed portions of the station’s older solar panels.