US space agency NASA has successfully launched its new mineral dust detector on board SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on July 14, 2022.
The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) is flying on board SpaceX’s 25th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station, which lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Dragon is carrying more than 5,800 lb of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations such as EMIT, which will identify the composition of mineral dust from Earth’s arid regions and analyze dust carried through the atmosphere from deserts to see what effects it has on the planet, further advancing NASA’s data contributions to monitoring climate change.
Other investigations include a CubeSat that will monitor cloud top and ocean surface temperatures which could help scientists understand Earth’s climate and weather systems.
Arrival to the station is scheduled for approximately 11:20am (EDT) on Saturday, July 16. Dragon will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.
Video credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech