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Blastoff of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Dragon CRS-18 cargo mission for NASA to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida with 2.5 tons of science and supplies – in this remote camera view from pad 40. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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blastoff Thursday, July 25 after wilting through awful weather Wednesday that forced a 24 hour scrub on Florida’s Space Coast.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched from Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m. EDT, carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station on its 18th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-18) mission.
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A used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m with the CRS-18 Dragon cargo ship and 2.5 tons of science and supplies – as seen from the VAB roof. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Eight minutes later the now twice used booster safely touched down back at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to a crescendo of shockingly loud sonic booms heard all across the central Florida region – thrilling everyone watching and shaking the houses of those who were not for dozens of miles around.
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The now twice used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soft lands for 2nd time eight minutes after stunning lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m with the CRS-18 Dragon cargo ship and 2.5 tons of science and supplies. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Building (VAB) and around the Launch Complex 39 Press Site.
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After blastoff LOX steams along out outer skin of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Dragon CRS-18 cargo mission for NASA to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida with 2.5 tons of science and supplies – in this remote camera view from pad 40. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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After blastoff LOX steams along out outer skin of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Dragon CRS-18 cargo mission for NASA to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida with 2.5 tons of science and supplies – in this remote camera view from pad 40. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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| Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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| Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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| Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The Dragon CRS-18 spacecraft was loaded with over 2.5 tons of science experiments, research gear, supplies, computer hardware, a spacesuit, food, water and a new docking mechanism to enable the docking of private SpaceX Taxi vehicles which will ferry astronauts to and from the massive the low Earth orbiting research outpost, as well as a 3D bio printer, 40 mice and a host of biological microgravity research experiments.
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UpClose prelaunch view of SpaceX Dragon CRS-18 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Credit:
Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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| Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Two days after liftoff and a carefully choreographed series of thruster firing and while the International Space Station was traveling some 267 miles (469 km) over southern Chile, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch grappled the Dragon CRS-18 resupply ship at 9:11 a.m. EDT (1311 GMT), July 27, using the space station’s 57 foot long robotic arm Canadarm2.
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Reused SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch
Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m with the CRS-18 Dragon cargo ship and 2.5 tons of science and supplies in this view from VAB roof. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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Landing legs deploy as now twice used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
soft lands for 2nd time eight minutes after stunning lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m with the CRS-18 Dragon cargo ship and 2.5 tons of science and supplies. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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| Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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| The now twice used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soft lands for 2nd time eight minutes after stunning lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station on July 25, 2019, at 6:01 p.m with the CRS-18 Dragon cargo ship and 2.5 tons of science and supplies. Credit: Ken |
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Watch my commentary about the SpaceX launch of NASA cargo including the IDA-3 docking adapter at Fox 35 TV News at the 2nd video of this link:
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Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose July 24, 2019 interview with Fox 35 Orlando TV News about the SpaceX CRS-18 mission to the ISS. Screenshot Credit: Fox 35/Ken Kremer
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Ken was onsite at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for live
reporting of the SpaceX CRS-18 mission launch.
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SpaceX CRS-18 prelaunch briefing for NASA CRS-18
resupply mission to ISS on July 24, 2019 at NASA Kennedy Space Center press site. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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Techshot 3D BioFabrication Facility (BFF) is the first ever 3D printer capable of manufacturing human tissue in orbit. This 500 lb unit was on display at the KSC press site. Credit:
Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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View of International Docking Adapter 2 (IDA-2) being processed inside the Space
Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA Kennedy Space Center for launch to the ISS in the trunk of a SpaceX Dragon on the CRS-9 mission in 2016. It was connected to the station to provide a port for Commercial Crew spacecraft carrying astronauts to dock to the orbiting laboratory and was first used on the Crew Dragon Demo-1 mission in March 2019. The identical IDA-1 was destroyed during SpaceX CRS-7 launch failure on June 28, 2015. IDA-3 launched on CRS-18. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com |
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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands poised for lift off at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida for the company’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-18) mission to the International Space Station – in this up close view from pad 40 with media remote cameras in view. After poor weather scrub July 24, 2019, launch rescheduled for 6:01 p.m. EDT, July 25. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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NASA KSC prelaunch briefing for NASA SpaceX CRS-18 Dragon
resupply mission to the ISS with media colleagues and myself on July 24, 2019. Credit: NASA |
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer
– email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
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The SpaceX Dragon CRS-18 spacecraft is in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm shortly after it was captured over southern Chile on July 27, 2019. Credit: NASA
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UpClose prelaunch view of SpaceX Falcon 9 landing legs for Dragon
CRS-18 cargo mission for NASA to ISS at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida launched on July 25, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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The SpaceX Dragon CRS-18 commercial cargo freighter approaches the ISS prior to capture with Canadarm2 robotic arm over southern Chile on July 27, 2019. Credit: NASA
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