🚀 Falcon 9 | 🛰 CRS-32 Cargo Dragon
Launch date: April 21, 2025 08:15 UTC
Payload: CRS-32 Cargo Dragon
Location: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Vehicle: Falcon 9
SpaceX launched its 32nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-32) mission to the International Space Station on April 21, 2025, at 08:15 UTC (4:15 a.m. EDT) using a Falcon 9 rocket and an uncrewed Cargo Dragon capsule from Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission delivered over 3 tons (about 6,700 pounds) of cargo, including supplies, food, and a range of scientific experiments: refined free-floating robot maneuvers, two atomic clocks for physics and relativity research, and an enhanced air quality monitoring system for future lunar/Mars missions. The Dragon capsule, on its fifth flight, was boosted by B1092 (its third flight); the first stage produced a ‘nebula-like’ glow in the predawn sky during its boostback burn and was recovered at LZ-1. Dragon docked with the ISS on April 22 and is expected to remain for about a month before returning to Earth, providing unique cargo return capability among active ISS cargo vehicles. Northrop Grumman’s next Cygnus mission was delayed due to spacecraft damage. The launch and science highlights were streamed live by NASA and Space.com.
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LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is one of the most significant and iconic launch pads in spaceflight history, situated at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. Constructed in the 1960s for the Apollo program, it was the launch site of Apollo 11—the first crewed mission to land on the Moon—and later adapted for the Space Shuttle program, supporting dozens of launches over several decades.
In 2014, NASA began leasing LC-39A to SpaceX, marking a new era for the launch site. SpaceX has extensively modified the facility to support Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches, and is further upgrading the pad for Starship missions. The site is a focal point for both crewed and uncrewed flights to the International Space Station, national security launches, and commercial missions, continuing its legacy as a cornerstone of American space exploration.