science

SpaceX CRS-9

SpaceX CRS-9 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SpaceX CRS-9 rather than just read about it. In short: SpaceX CRS-9, also known as SpX-9, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station which launched on 18 July 2016. The mission was contracted by NASA and was operated by SpaceX using a Dragon capsule.

Key takeaways

SpaceX CRS-9 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SpaceX CRS-9 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SpaceX CRS-9 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

SpaceX CRS-9, also known as SpX-9, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station which launched on 18 July 2016. The mission was contracted by NASA and was operated by SpaceX using a Dragon capsule. The cargo was successfully carried aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 Flight 27.

Launch and operations history A July 2014 NASA Flight Planning Integration Panel (FPIP) presentation had this mission scheduled no earlier than (NET) 7 December 2015. By December 2014, the launch had been pushed back to NET 9 December 2015. Following the failure of SpaceX CRS-7 on 28 June 2015, the launch date was left open and, in September 2015, was moved to NET 21 March 2016. The flight was later pushed to 24 June, 27 June, 16 July, and finally 18 July 2016, as the crewed mission Soyuz MS-01 took the 24 June slot. CRS-9 launched on 18 July 2016 at 04:44 UTC from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 aboard a Falcon 9 launch vehicle. After 9 minutes and 37 seconds the Dragon spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket, and deployed its solar arrays about two minutes later. The opening of its GNC door came two hours later, enabling orbital operations. After a series or orbital maneuvers and stationkeeping at different hold points, the CRS-9 Dragon was captured by the ISS's Canadarm2 on 20 July 2016 at 10:56 UTC. After robotic operations, it was berthed some three hours later at 14:03 UTC. In preparation for recovery, the Dragon capsule was loaded with 1,550 kg (3,410 lb) of experiments and no-longer-needed equipment and, on 25 August 2016 at 21:00 UTC, it was unberthed and stowed in an overnight parking position away from the station. Dragon was released from Canadarm2 the following day at 10:11 UTC. After maneuvering away from the station, Dragon conducted a re-entry burn at 14:56 UTC and successfully landed in the Pacific Ocean at 15:47 UTC, approximately 525 km (326 mi) southwest of Baja California.

Primary payload NASA contracted for the CRS-9 mission from SpaceX and therefore determined the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule. CRS-9 carried 2,257 kilograms (4,975.8 lb) of cargo to the International Space Station. Amongst its pressurized cargo was 930 kg (2,050.3 lb) of material supporting about 250 science and research experiments, 370 kg (815.7 lb) of crew supplies, 280 kg (617.3 lb) of spacecraft hardware, 127 kg (279.9 lb) of extravehicular activity equipment, 1 kg (2.2 lb) of computer equipment, and 54 kg (119.1 lb) of Russian hardware. Its unpressurized cargo, the International Docking Adapter-2 located in Dragon's trunk, massed 467 kg (1,029.5 lb). Some of the key experiments transported by CRS-9 to the ISS were the Biomolecule Sequencer, which performed DNA sequencing in orbit; the Phase Change Heat Exchanger, which tested temperature regulation systems for future spacecraft applications; the OsteoOmics experiment, which tested if Earth-based magnetic levitation can properly simulate microgravity conditions; and the Heart Cells experiment from Stanford University, which examined the effects of microgravity on the human heart at the cellular and molecular level using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

First stage landing

Following stage separation, the rocket's first stage performed a boostback maneuver and landed smoothly at Landing Zone 1, Cape Canaveral, for the second time on solid ground, following Falcon 9 Flight 20 in December 2015.

Gallery

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SpaceX CRS-9

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SpaceX CRS-9 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SpaceX CRS-9 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SpaceX CRS-9 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SpaceX CRS-9

In research: SpaceX CRS-9 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SpaceX CRS-9 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SpaceX CRS-9 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics SpaceX Dragon 1, SpaceX payloads contracted by NASA, Spacecraft launched by Falcon 9 Full Thrust rockets, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SpaceX CRS-9 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “SpaceX CRS-9” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study SpaceX CRS-9 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SpaceX CRS-9 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SpaceX CRS-9 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SpaceX CRS-9 in simple terms?

Why does SpaceX CRS-9 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SpaceX CRS-9?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SpaceX CRS-9.