Seven Astronauts On The ISS Get Christmas Gifts And Food To Party In Space

JAKARTA - SpaceX has just launched Christmas gifts, trinkets, and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). In return, the company managed to achieve a successful 100th rocket landing.

The gifts, supplies, Christmas decorations, and experiments were put in the Dragon capsule, which was sent aboard SpaceX's Falcon rocket. The two launched Tuesday morning from NASA's Kennedy Space Center runway.

The dragon alone holds more than 6,500 pounds of equipment for the seven astronauts currently aboard the ISS. The spacecraft was scheduled to arrive and dock at the ISS at around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday. December 22nd, and will be staying there for about a month.

The cargo includes a variety of different supplies, some of which are household items such as detergent to be experimented with.

Currently, astronauts cannot wash their clothes due to the limited amount of water available on the ISS. They ended up throwing out the dirty clothes, but household products company Procter & Gamble Co (P&G) has sent laundry detergent experiments to test fully biodegradable detergents for use on the ISS, on the Moon, and elsewhere in space.

The other seven astronauts also received Christmas gifts, which were sent by their families, and holiday treats such as smoked fish, turkey, green beans, and fruitcake.

Various other science experiments were also sent to the ISS, one of which included bioprinting bandages. It is a process that uses a person's living cells and biological molecules to print the tissue structure that creates a patch to cover a wound.

Because using the patient's own skin, scientists believe can speed up the healing process. Bioprinting bandages in space could address changes in wound healing and help scientists understand how space can complicate treatment.

Launching ABC News, Wednesday, December 22, it is known, the launch of the cargo supply this time also marks the 100th successful landing of SpaceX's reusable rocket.

Elon Musk's company is the only space company that has the ability to reuse its rocket boosters. SpaceX ends the year with 31 launches, the most they've ever had

“It is very important to lower the cost of spaceflight to continue to reuse these boosters more often. Hundred is a huge milestone, so we're excited about that. We're also excited to see how few new boosters we have to produce over time", said SpaceX Mission Manager, Sarah Walker.