SpaceX CRS-31 Resupplying Canadian science on the International Space Station
NASA's SpaceX CRS-31 commercial resupply mission is scheduled to launch on tonight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Dragon cargo spacecraft will carry a blood pressure monitoring kit used by Canadian experiments CARDIOBREATH, Vascular Aging, and Vascular Calcium. The latter two are part of the Vascular series, which studies the effects of weightlessness on astronauts' blood vessels and hearts during their space mission. CARDIOBREATH looks at how astronauts' cardiovascular and respiratory systems control their blood pressure.
A photon detector module that was designed, assembled and programmed at University of Waterloo, will also be on board. Funded under the CSA's Flights and Fieldwork for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) initiative, this technology is part of a larger experiment that aims to enhance secure, long-distance quantum communications and lay the groundwork for quantum networks in space and on Earth.
Live coverage of the launch will be available on NASA+ beginning at 9:10 pm ET.