NASA will launch a probe to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 10 to monitor Earth’s climate change. The probe, called the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Investigation (EMIT), will study the composition of mineral dust in arid regions of the Earth and the impact of desert dust on the Earth through the atmosphere. EMIT will launch on June 10 on SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Supply Services mission. The Dragon spacecraft will also transport supplies and various scientific equipment for international astronauts. The spacecraft will carry more than 4,500 pounds (about 2,041 kilograms) of cargo.
The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the International Space Station on June 12. NASA said it will automatically dock to the forward section of the Harmony module of the International Space Station, with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines monitoring operations from the International Space Station.
The EMIT mission focuses on studying how mineral rock dust, such as calcite or chlorite, heats or cools the atmosphere and Earth’s surface after being blown thousands of miles by strong winds in desert areas.
The space agency will broadcast live coverage of the mission.
Here are the key timelines:
June 10
Launch coverage will begin at 10 a.m. ET (7:30 p.m. IST) on NASA TV and the NASA website.
The launch sequence will begin at 10:22 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (7:52 p.m. IST).
June 12
Dragon docking coverage will begin at 5 a.m. ET (2:30 p.m. IST)
Matchmaking will take place at 6:20 AM ET (3:50 PM IST).
The mission will also travel to the International Space Station (ISS) to conduct several other investigations, including studying the aging of immune cells and the potential to reverse these effects during post-flight recovery, how suture wounds heal in microgravity, and a student experiment testing a specific alternative for potential use in future lunar and Martian habitats. The spacecraft is expected to remain at the orbiting outpost for about a month before returning to Earth with research and cargo.
