SpaceX Dragon Cargo Splashes Down Returning Science to Earth

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the space station for an automated docking loaded with over 7,000 pounds of science experiments, station hardware, and crew supplies on June 9.
The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the space station for an automated docking loaded with over 7,000 pounds of science experiments, station hardware, and crew supplies on June 9.

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down at 10:30 a.m. EDT Friday, June 30, off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, marking the return of the company’s 28th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft carried approximately 3,600 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo back to Earth.

Scientific hardware and samples returning on the mission include the GRIP – Dexterous Manipulation in Microgravity chair used in the ESA (European Space Agency)-sponsored neurology experiments GRIP and GRASP (Gravitational References for Sensimotor Performance: Reaching and Grasping). GRIP studies how microgravity affects the manipulation of objects, while GRASP provides further insight into how the central nervous system adapts to the microgravity environment. The experiments have been on the space station almost six years, and the final in-orbit tests were completed in early 2023.

Samples from BioNutrients-2, Monoclonal Antibodies, and Myotones investigations also are returning to Earth for scientific analysis.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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