SpaceX launches 27th NASA resupply mission to the Space Station, Rocket recovery operations were managed by an all-female crew for the first time

On Tuesday, March 14, SpaceX launched the 27th NASA Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-27) mission to the International Space Station (ISS). A flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 8:30 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying more than 6,200 pounds of cargo. The uncrewed Dragon is scheduled to dock to the ISS Harmony module on March 16 at around 7:52 a.m. ET. You can watch a Live broadcast of the autonomous docking operation via NASA TV starting at 6:15 a.m. ET, the video is embedded below. 

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/vK0FOQTkbU

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 15, 2023

The Falcon 9 first-stage booster that supported the CRS-27 mission is identified as B1073-7. It has now flown seven missions, including: the Hispasat Amazonas Nexus, SES-22, ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 1, and three Starlink missions. The booster was recovered a seventh time soon after deploying the CRS-27 Dragon to orbit; It performed a propulsive landing on the ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ droneship in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 7 minutes and 46 seconds after liftoff. It marked SpaceX’s 178th landing of an orbital-class rocket and the 150th time it reused one. “Today's recovery operations are being managed by an all-female crew,” announced SpaceX. “In fact, we believe it to be the first all-female crew for any kind of operation such as this. Our recovery teams are responsible for operating the recovery vessels, securing and recovering the booster, and everything else required to make these operations possible,” shared SpaceX via Twitter, alongside photos that showcased the all-female recovery team, shown below. SpaceX is currently the only aerospace company in the world capable of recovering and reusing orbital-class rockets. Reusability reduces the cost of spaceflight. 

Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship pic.twitter.com/IKVtXDPaIy

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 15, 2023

In fact, we believe it to be the first all-female crew for any kind of operation such as this

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 15, 2023

The Dragon spacecraft that is delivering the CRS-27 cargo to the Space Station is also reused; it previously delivered supplies for CRS-22 and CRS-24. The cargo includes hardware and supplies needed at the orbiting laboratory. It will also deliver dozens of scientific research projects, including some experiments that the Expedition 68 astronauts will conduct at the ISS Lab in microgravity. TESMANIAN had the opportunity to discuss a bioscience mission that is on the CRS-27 Dragon with the leader of Project Maleth – University of Malta Professor Joseph ‘Sci’ Borg, who is sending his third research to study the effects of spaceflight and microgravity on the human skin tissue microbiomes of diabetic foot ulcers. Read the previous TESMANIAN story to learn more: Spaceomix Maleth Program science research

Dragon CRS-27 is also delivering other interesting science projects, including one involving engineered heart tissues that aim to research how certain medications affect heart cells in the space environment. “That understanding could guide drug development strategies on Earth to treat patients with diseases such as heart failure more effectively,” says NASA. NASA shared a video that features some of the science cargo that is on its way to the Space Station, linked below.

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 All Featured Images Source: SpaceX