By Oyintari Ben
After being forced to cancel its initial attempt due to poor weather at the launch site, SpaceX will attempt to deliver a new shipment of supplies to the International Space Station this weekend.
At 2:20 PM ET on Saturday, the mission is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. If the weather again interferes with those preparations, a backup launch window is scheduled for 1:58 p.m. ET on Sunday. Tuesday had been the scheduled launch day.
A pair of new solar arrays for the space station, dwarf tomato seeds, and a variety of science experiments are among the abundant supplies on board. On the space station, there will also be Thanksgiving-themed delicacies for the crew, including ice cream and dishes like spicy green beans, cranberry apple pies, pumpkin pie, and candy corn.
On November 29 and December 3 spacewalks, the solar panels will be placed outside the floating laboratory. They will increase the power of the space station.
As part of a multibillion-dollar agreement with NASA, SpaceX has launched more than twenty resupply trips to the space station during the previous ten years. SpaceX has had more than 50 operations so far this year, including two manned missions, making it their busiest year ever.
The Moon Microscope kit is one of many health-related goods in the ship’s cargo. Astronauts will be able to gather blood samples and communicate photos of them to flight surgeons on the ground for diagnosis and treatment using the portable handheld microscope.
The Vegetable Production System, also known as the Veggie growth chamber, on the space station will be used to produce the tomatoes in tiny bags called plant pillows. The plants will receive regular care and watering from the astronauts.
