Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the uncrewed Dragon resupply spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station on November 11th.
One of the things The Dragon has delivered is water filtration technology. Aquamembrane-3, an investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), continues evaluation of replacing the multi-filtration beds used for water recovery on the space station with a type of membrane known as an Aquaporin Inside Membrane. These membranes incorporate proteins found in biological cells, known as aquaporins, to filter water faster while using less energy. Results could advance development of a complete and full-scale membrane-based water recovery system, improving water reclamation and reducing the amount of material that needs to be launched to the space station. This water filtration technology also could have applications in extreme environments on Earth, such as emergency settings, and decentralized water systems in remote locations.
Additionally, the cargo spacecraft has delivered hardware to the orbital outpost including:
-replacement parts for the spacecraft atmosphere monitor, which checks the quality of the cabin atmosphere
-space tissue equivalent dosimeter, which collects data on radiation exposure and characterizes the space radiation environment
-Plant Habitat-06, which will evaluate the effects of spaceflight on plant defense responses using multiple genotypes of tomato
-combustion integrated rack and a fluid oxidizer management assembly calibration unit, which are used to maintain proper calibration and operation of the combustion experiment workstation’s gas system
