According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying “science, supplies, and holidays treats” for the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) performed successful stage separation earlier today at around 2:20 a.m. PST, approximately 12 minutes after launch.
Stage separation confirmed! The @SpaceX Dragon is now floating freely and flying toward the @Space_Station with science, supplies, and holiday treats aboard for the @NASA_Astronauts. pic.twitter.com/ncOPLLXNgd
— NASA (@NASA) December 21, 2021
The capsule is now floating freely and flying towards the ISS using onboard thrusters. The cargo ship is expected to autonomously dock with the Space Station sometime on Wednesday.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule lifted off earlier today aboard a brand new, reusable SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at approximately 2:08 a.m. from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/z9NvqaTz73
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 21, 2021
The launch marked SpaceX’s 24th resupply mission to the ISS for NASA, and the first stage of the reusable Falcon 9 booster landing on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship afterwards commemorated the 100th successful landing of an orbital class rocket booster for SpaceX.
Six years ago today, SpaceX successfully landed an orbital class rocket booster for the first time https://t.co/q4juqTvqAg
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 21, 2021
The resupply flight was the last of three launches SpaceX had planned to end the year with. SpaceX completed the two previous Falcon 9 launches back-to-back last week in about 15 hours.
Two Falcon 9 launches completed in ~15 hours pic.twitter.com/Vz6qTNmGtz
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 19, 2021
With this final mission, SpaceX has a total of 31 Falcon 9 launches under its belt for this year. According to the space exploration and transportation company, 94% of all space missions this year were carried out by “SpaceX’s fleet of flight-proven orbital class rocket boosters.”
Falcon 9’s 31st and final launch of 2021 pic.twitter.com/Va0JITgwZx
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 21, 2021
Catch the full launch of Dragon’s 24th resupply mission to the ISS below:
