SpaceX CRS-6

In July 2014, the launch was scheduled by NASA for February 2015, with berthing to the station occurring two days later. However, as a result of delays in the launch of the previous SpaceX CRS-5 mission, SpaceX CRS-6 launched on 14 April 2015. In late March, 2015, the launch was scheduled for 13 April 2015,{{cite web|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/|title=Launch Schedule|access-date=4 April 2015}} but was later postponed to 14 April 2015 due to weather conditions.{{cite web|last1=Lawler|first1=Richard|title=SpaceX's next try at landing a reusable rocket is minutes away |date=13 April 2015 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/04/13/spacex-reusable-rocket-launch/|publisher=Engadget|access-date=13 April 2015}}

A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) application submitted for temporary communication frequency authority noted the launch planning date as no earlier than 8 April 2015. The application also confirmed communication uplinks for use with the first stage of this mission as it attempted to conduct a first-ever propulsive landing on the Autonomous spaceport drone ship after staging.{{cite web|url=https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=initial&application_seq=64682&RequestTimeout=1000|title=OET Special Temporary Authority Report|access-date=4 April 2015}} {{PD-notice}}

NASA has contracted for the CRS-6 mission from SpaceX and therefore determines the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule. The Dragon spacecraft was filled with {{cvt|2015|kg}} of supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support about 40 of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expedition 43 and Expedition 44.{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/SpaceX_CRS-6_Mission_Overview(1).pdf|title=SpaceX CRS-6 Sixth Commercial Resupply Services Flight to the International Space Station|publisher=NASA|date=April 2015|access-date=31 May 2021}} {{PD-notice}}

Among other items on board:

• Planetary Resources will transport an Arkyd 3 — known as Arkyd 3 Reflight — to the ISS aboard Dragon on CRS-6.{{cite web|title=ARKYD: A Space Telescope for Everyone |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arkydforeveryone/arkyd-a-space-telescope-for-everyone-0/|publisher=KickStarter|date=26 May 2016|access-date=31 May 2021}} Planetary plans to deploy the smallsat from the ISS via a Nanoracks-provided service, in an attempt to validate and mature the technology of its Arkyd series of spacecraft. This is the second Arkyd 3 satellite; in October 2014, the first Arkyd 3 satellite was destroyed on launch in the explosion of the Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares launch vehicle carrying it aboard the third Cygnus cargo resupply flight to the ISS.{{cite news|last1=Wilhelm|first1=Steve|title=First step toward asteroid mining: Planetary Resources set to launch test satellite|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2014/10/16/first-step-toward-asteroid-mining-planetary.html|access-date=2014-10-19|publisher=Puget Sound Business Journal|date=2014-10-16}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/10/orbitals-antares-loft-fourth-cygnus-iss/|title=Antares 130 debut with fourth Cygnus ready for second attempt |publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|date=27 October 2014|access-date=31 May 2021}}

• Planet Labs will transport 14 Flock-1e Earth observation CubeSat satellites for later deployment from the space station via an agreement with Nanoracks, operator of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS).{{cite news|last1=Graham|first1=William|title=SpaceX Falcon 9 scrubs CRS-6 Dragon launch due to weather |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/04/spacex-falcon-9-crs-6-dragon-stage-return/|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|date=13 April 2015|access-date=14 April 2015}}

SpaceX has the primary control over manifesting, scheduling and loading secondary payloads. However, there are certain restrictions included in their contract with NASA that preclude specified hazards on the secondary payloads, and also require contract-specified probabilities of success and safety margins for any SpaceX reboosts of the secondary satellites once the Falcon 9 second stage has achieved its initial low Earth orbit (LEO).

SpaceX CRS-6 included science payloads for studying new ways to possibly counteract the microgravity-induced cell damage seen during spaceflight, the effects of microgravity on the most common cells in bones, gather new insight that could lead to treatments for osteoporosis and muscle wasting conditions, continue studies into astronaut vision changes and test a new material that could one day be used as a synthetic muscle for robotics explorers of the future. Also making the trip was a new espresso machine for space station crews.

A part of this payload includes science experiments from high schools, such as a project from Ambassador High School in Torrance, California.{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1770|title=Nanoracks-Ambassador High School-Pollen Propulsion in a Microgravity Environment (Nanoracks-AHS-Pollen Propulsion)|publisher=NASA|date=3 April 2015|access-date=6 April 2015}} {{PD-notice}}

Dragon returned {{cvt|1370|kg}} of cargo to Earth.

{{Main|SpaceX reusable launch system development program}}

After the separation of the second stage, SpaceX conducted a flight test and attempted to return the nearly-empty first stage of the Falcon 9 through the atmosphere and land it on a {{cvt|90|x|50|m}} floating platform called the autonomous spaceport drone ship. The unmanned launch vehicle technically landed on the floating platform, however it came down with too much lateral velocity, tipped over, and was destroyed.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhMSzC1crr0|title=CRS-6 First Stage Landing|date=15 April 2015 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=16 April 2015}} Elon Musk later explained that the bipropellant valve was stuck, and therefore the control system could not react rapidly enough for a successful landing.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/588166157510828033|title=Elon Musk on Twitter|publisher=Twitter|access-date=14 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415043005/https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/588166157510828033|archive-date=15 April 2015}}

This was SpaceX's second attempt to land the booster on a floating platform after an earlier test landing attempt in January 2015 had to be abandoned due to weather conditions. The booster was fitted with a variety of technologies to facilitate the flight test, including grid fins and landing legs to facilitate the post-mission test. If successful, this would have been the first time in history that a launch vehicle booster was returned to a vertical landing.{{cite news|last=Bergin|first=Chris|title=SpaceX preparing for a busy season of missions and test milestones|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/04/spacex-preparing-busy-season-missions-test-milestones/|access-date=4 April 2015|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|date=2015-04-03}}

On 15 April 2015, SpaceX released a video of the terminal phase of the descent, the landing, the tip over, and a small deflagration as the stage broke up on the deck of the ASDS.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhMSzC1crr0 CRS-6 First Stage Landing] SpaceX, 15 April 2015

The Dragon capsule used for this mission was successfully flown a second time in December 2017 with SpaceX CRS-13. The capsule made its third and final flight as part of the SpaceX CRS-18 mission on 25 July 2019.

{{Gallery|CRS-6 launch prep 2015.jpg|CRS-6 being prepared for launch|Launch of Falcon 9 carrying CRS-6 Dragon (17171659711).jpg|Launch of CRS-6|CRS-6 first stage booster landing attempt.jpg|Falcon 9 before impacting the droneship|ISS-43 Golden sunset on the Earth with Magellanic Clouds.jpg|CRS-6 docked to the ISS|title=SpaceX CRS-6|align=center|footer=|style=text-align:center;|mode=packed|alt1=|alt2=|alt3=|alt4=|alt5=|alt6=|alt7=|CRS-6 Dragon under parachute (18145917106).jpg|Dragon descending under parachutes}}

• List of Falcon 9 launches

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.nasa.gov/ NASA]
• [https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/SpaceX_NASA_CRS-6_PressKit.pdf SpaceX/NASA CRS-6 press kit] April 2015

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Category:SpaceX Dragon

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