SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom to deliver materials for Canadian study Vascular Aging to the International Space Station
NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission is scheduled to launch , from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket and is expected to dock to the International Space Station (ISS) the following day.
Crew Dragon Freedom will bring NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS for an approximate five-month science mission. The crewed vessel will also deliver sample collection kits for Canadian study Vascular Aging.
In 2022, astronaut Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) scans the femoral artery in his right leg with an ultrasound device for the Vascular Aging study. (Credit: NASA)
As part of the study, astronauts undergo blood tests and ultrasound scans, and wear the Bio-Monitor smart shirt system. All of the resulting data is analyzed by researchers in order to better understand the effects of radiation exposure on arterial elasticity and to confirm if and when insulin resistance develops during a space mission.
Live coverage of the launch will be available on NASA+ on , beginning at 9:10 am ET.