The Utilization of a New Access Tower at SLC-40: SpaceX’s 30th Resupply Mission.

SpaceX has achieved another significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to revolutionize space exploration. During its 30th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the company successfully launched a Dragon 2 capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This marked the first time that the new crew and cargo access tower at the pad was utilized for a launch. The construction of this tower took place throughout 2023, amidst the continuous Falcon 9 launches. The CRS-30 mission took off on March 21, and it opens up new possibilities for future crewed missions.

SpaceX now has two crew-capable launch pads at its disposal, the other being Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A). Having an additional crew site provides redundancy and flexibility in case LC-39A is affected by any issues or if both launch pads are required at once, including future Starship flights from the in-progress launch mount.
Initially, there were speculations that the crewed Axiom-3 mission in January would be the first to use this tower. However, additional time was required for the installation of the access arm in November and a complete infrastructure checkout. The emergency egress system, which enables astronauts and crew to move away from the pad in case of an emergency, underwent validation at the end of February. The ground systems were further validated during the Falcon launch of the CRS NG-20 mission in January.

As the tower was recently built, NASA decided that a cargo flight should be the first to make use of it, primarily for certification purposes ahead of the first crewed flight to use the tower. Certification of the tower for NASA crewed missions may be ready in time for the Crew 9 flight, but no decision has been made yet regarding the schedule of a crewed Dragon flight from SLC-40.

SpaceX has been operating commercial resupply services (CRS) missions to the ISS for over eleven years. The first mission, CRS-1, took place in October 2012, with Cargo Dragon C103 launched on only the fourth Falcon 9 flight. The initial contract, signed in 2008 for 12 missions, was later extended. Presently, SpaceX is contracted for five more missions through CRS-35 in 2026, and this contract is expected to be further extended.

The latest CRS-30 mission used Cargo Dragon C209, which was on its fourth flight. The new access arm played an important role in late-loading supplies approximately 24 hours before launch. Previously, this pad hosted Dragon 1 cargo missions from 2010 to 2020 until the upgraded Cargo Dragon 2 was introduced. The new capsule has enhanced payload capacity, autonomous docking capabilities with the ISS, and the option to load cargo while the vehicle is in a vertical position using the crew access arm.

The booster for this mission, B1080-6, successfully landed on the concrete pad at Landing Zone 1, located south of SLC-40. The Dragon capsule is scheduled to autonomously dock with the ISS at the zenith port of the Harmony module on March 23. Once docked, both ports of the ISS will be occupied by Dragon and Crew Dragon Endeavour, which recently launched Crew 8. Following the departure of CRS-30 from the station, Crew 8 will shift to the zenith port to make room for the planned Starliner Crewed Flight Test in May.

The payloads onboard Cargo Dragon for CRS-30 consist of over 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of food, supplies, and equipment for the ISS crew. Additionally, there are more than 40 science investigations onboard that will be conducted by NASA and its research partners. One interesting experiment involves equipping the Astrobee free-flying robots with new sensors that enable them to create 3D maps of their environment. This technology has potential applications in various situational awareness scenarios and could be used in autonomous vehicles or caretaking functions on future spacecraft.

Another notable experiment onboard the CRS-30 mission is the C4 Photosynthesis in Space Advanced Plant Experiment-09 (APEX-09). This experiment aims to study how microgravity and space flight stressors affect the mechanism of capturing carbon dioxide in grasses, which could have implications for future bio-regenerative life support systems. Understanding the changes in plants exposed to such environments can lead to improvements in photosynthesis in space and the design of support systems for long-duration deep space missions.

Among the CubeSats on board are four for NASA’s ELaNa 51 mission and three Canadian satellites. One of the Canadian spacecraft is Killick-1, which will use Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R) to measure sea ice and wave height. This data will improve climate models and help monitor ocean phenomena. Killick-1, developed by C-CORE in partnership with Memorial University, is a low-cost, energy-efficient CubeSat that could pave the way for cheaper monitoring and data collection in future ocean studies.

Furthermore, an experiment focused on improving solar cell efficiency by arranging nanoparticles in space is also part of the CRS-30 payload. The study will examine nanoparticle concentration and interaction in microgravity and their impact on shape and charge. Charged nanoparticles could potentially aid in the precise arrangement of solar cells synthesized with quantum dots, which have the potential to achieve higher energy conversion rates when exposed to sunlight.

Once the CRS-30 mission concludes, Dragon C209 will return to Earth, splashing down off the coast of Florida. The capsule will carry several tons of cargo as well as experiment results. It will then be unloaded at Cape Canaveral, refurbished, and prepared for its next flight, showcasing SpaceX’s commitment to reusability and cost-effectiveness in space missions.

SpaceX’s successful use of the new access tower at SLC-40 during the CRS-30 mission continues to demonstrate the company’s dedication to advancing space exploration capabilities. With multiple launch pads available, SpaceX now has increased flexibility and redundancy, thereby ensuring more reliable and efficient operations. This achievement sets the stage for future crewed missions from SLC-40, further expanding the company’s capabilities and contributions to space exploration.