(AGENPARL) - Roma, 5 Giugno 2023 - (AGENPARL) – lun 05 giugno 2023 June 05, 2023 
RELEASE 23-062
*NASA, SpaceX Launch Solar Arrays, Cargo to Space Station*
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The Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida on
June 5, 2023, beginning the 28th resupply services mission to the
International Space Station.
*/Credits: NASA/*
Following a successful launch of NASA’s SpaceX 28th commercial resupply
services mission, two new solar arrays, science investigations, and supplies
are on their way to the International Space Station.
Carrying more than 7,000 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory, the
uncrewed SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket
at 11:47 a.m. EDT, Monday, June 5, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in
Florida.
Live coverage of arrival will begin at 4:15 a.m., Tuesday, June 6, on NASA
Television, the agency’s website [1], and the NASA app [2].
The cargo spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock with the space-facing
port on the station’s Harmony module at approximately 5:50 a.m. and remain
at the station for about 21 days.
The SpaceX Dragon will deliver a pair of IROSAs [3] (International Space
Station Roll Out Solar Arrays) that, once installed, will expand the
energy-production capabilities of the microgravity complex.
The spacecraft will also deliver the following:
*Thunderstorm Watch*
What Happens Above Thunderstorms [4] (Thor-Davis), an investigation from ESA
(European Space Agency), will observe thunderstorms from the space station.
This vantage point will allow researchers to see the electrical activity from
above, particularly the inception, frequency, and altitude of recently
discovered blue discharges. Scientists plan to estimate the energy of these
phenomena to determine their effect on the atmosphere. A better understanding
of lightning and electrical activity in Earth’s atmosphere could improve
atmospheric models and provide a better understanding of Earth’s climate
and weather.
*Helping Plants Chill in Space*
Plants exposed to environmental stress, including spaceflight, undergo
changes to adapt, but those changes may not be passed on to the next
generation. Plant Habitat-03 [5] (PH-03) will assess whether plants grown in
space can transfer such adaptations to the next generation and, if so,
whether a change continues through subsequent generations or stabilizes.
The investigation will create a second generation of plants using seeds
previously produced in space and returned to Earth. Results could provide
insight into how to grow multiple generations of plants to provide food and
other services on future space missions. This investigation also could
support development of strategies for adapting crops and other economically
important plants to marginal and reclaimed habitats on Earth.
*Testing a Telomere Technique*
Telomeres, genetic structures that protect our chromosomes, shorten with age
and wear. But research has shown that telomeres lengthen in space. Genes in
Space-10 [6] will test a technique for measuring telomere length in
microgravity, where methods typically employed on Earth are difficult to use
due to gravity. The experiment will explore whether telomere lengthening in
space is caused by proliferation of stem cells –undifferentiated cells that
give rise to specific body components and that typically have long telomeres.
Understanding the mechanism behind telomere lengthening could reveal possible
effects on astronaut health during long-duration missions. Results also could
lay the groundwork for a variety of related research to benefit future space
travel and people on the ground.
Genes in Space [7] is a national contest for students in grades seven through
12 to design biotechnology experiments for space. The program is sponsored by
miniPCR, Math for America, Boeing, New England Biolabs Ltd., and the
International Space Station National Laboratory.
*Thawing Ice, Solar Storms, and Attitude Recovery*
Mission 26 for the station’s Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer [8] (NRCSD)
includes Educational Space Science and Engineering CubeSat Experiment Mission
[9] (ESSENCE), sponsored by the International Space Station National
Laboratory and developed by universities in Canada and Australia. It carries
a wide-angle camera to monitor thawing of ice and permafrost in the Canadian
Arctic, which could provide a better understanding of the effects on Earth's
climate and support better local infrastructure planning.
The satellite also carries a solar energetic proton detector to collect data
on periods of solar activity that emit highly energized radioactive protons
that can damage the structure and electronic components of spacecraft.
Understanding these effects could help make future CubeSats more resistant to
radiation. In addition, the investigation demonstrates a novel method to
recover control of a satellite’s attitude, or orientation, if a control
mechanism fails. ESSENCE is part of the Canadian CubeSat Project, led by CSA
(Canadian Space Agency).
*Watching Cosmic Weathering*
*Iris* [10], sponsored by the International Space Station National
Laboratory, observes weathering of geological samples exposed to direct solar
and background cosmic radiation and determines whether changes are visually
detectable. The investigation also demonstrates experimental sun sensors,
torque rods (which provide attitude control and detumbling for satellites),
and a battery heater. A collaboration between graduate, undergraduate, and
middle school students in Canada, the project provides hands-on experience
that promotes interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
studies and careers.
Results also could provide insight into weathering processes on planetary
bodies and, when combined with data from asteroid sampling missions, improve
understanding of the origins of asteroids. Iris is part of the Canadian
CubeSat Project, led by CSA.
Get breaking news, images, and features from the space station blog [11] or