CRS 29 SpaceX launches its 29th cargo mission to the International Space Station

SpaceX's next robotic cargo mission to the International Space Station—CRS-29—has been cleared for flight. The mission is scheduled to launch EST on a Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The CRS-29 mission includes important scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, including optical communications equipment and instruments to measure atmospheric waves. NASA is investigating spaceflight-induced ovarian and estrogen signaling dysfunction, adaptation, and recovery in orbit on CRS-29. According to NASA, the results of this study could help improve bone health on Earth. The space agency's ILLUMA-T probe will test improved laser-based communications capabilities aboard the space station. The LCRD data will then be transmitted to satellites in Hawaii and California. Will be broadcast on optical ground stations. The system uses invisible infrared light and can send and receive information at higher data rates than traditional radio frequency systems. Systems like ILLUMA-T could potentially be used for fast and high-bandwidth data transmission between spacecraft orbiting the Moon or Mars.