Following a successful launch of NASA\u2019s SpaceX 33rd commercial resupply mission, new scientific experiments and cargo for the agency are bound for the International Space Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying more than 5,000 pounds of supplies to the orbiting laboratory, lifted off EDT, on the company\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCommercial resupply missions to the International Space Station deliver science that helps prove technologies for Artemis lunar missions and beyond,\u201d said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. \u201cThis flight will test 3D printing metal parts and bioprinting tissue in microgravity \u2013 technology that could give astronauts tools and medical support on future Moon and Mars missions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Live coverage of the spacecraft\u2019s arrival will begin at 6 a.m., Monday, Aug. 25, on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The spacecraft is scheduled to dock autonomously at approximately 7:30 a.m. to the forward port of the space station\u2019s Harmony module.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Dragon will deliver several experiments, including bone-forming stem cells for studying bone loss prevention and materials, to 3D print medical implants that could advance treatments for nerve damage on Earth. Dragon also will deliver bioprinted liver tissue to study blood vessel development in microgravity, as well as supplies to 3D print metal cubes in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are just a sample of the hundreds of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, Earth and space science investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory. This research benefits people on Earth while laying the groundwork for other agency deep space missions. As part of NASA\u2019s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the mission, Dragon also will perform a reboost demonstration of station to maintain its current altitude. The hardware, located in the trunk of Dragon, contains an independent propellant system separate from the spacecraft to fuel two Draco engines using existing hardware and propellant system design. The boost kit will help sustain the orbiting lab\u2019s altitude starting in September with a series of burns planned periodically throughout the fall of 2025. During NASA\u2019s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission on Nov. 8, 2024, the Dragon spacecraft performed its first demonstration of these capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until December, when it will depart the orbiting laboratory and return to Earth with research and cargo, splashing down off the coast of California.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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