NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Tuesday, Oct. 13 to launch scientific investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. 

Loaded with more than 6,300 pounds of supplies, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will lift off aboard the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Following its arrival to the orbital complex, Dragon will autonomously dock to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module. 

NASA will stream launch and docking coverage through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

For more than 25 years, the International Space Station has supported research by scientists from more than 110 countries, enabling more than 4,000 experiments in microgravity. Research conducted aboard the station helps advance long-duration missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis program and to Mars, while also providing multiple benefits to humanity.

Science Highlights

In addition to cargo for the crew aboard the space station, Dragon will deliver several new science experiments, including:

With LambdaVision-1, NASA is testing how to manufacture artificial eye retinas in microgravity, building them one thin layer at a time. Reduced settling in microgravity may create more uniform, stable layers, potentially improving implants’ performance. These artificial retinas could help restore vision for patients with currently incurable retinal diseases on Earth.

NASA will use the Stellar Spheroids experiment to study how microgravity affects the growth and function of 3D human heart tissue models. Researchers will assess whether microgravity improves the formation of advanced vascular networks. Results could help researchers develop more realistic heart tissue models for disease research and support larger‑scale drug testing on future space missions.

Using non-traditional elements, ELF-Unconventional Glass 2 studies how glass forms in microgravity. Researchers will observe molten behavior in space, then return solid samples to Earth for detailed analysis. These unconventional glasses could offer higher strength, improved optical capabilities, and greater durability for spacecraft, habitats, and other exploration technologies.

The MINDS experiment studies brain organoids to better understand inflammation linked to neurodegenerative diseases. The investigation uses “organoid villages,” which combine cells from multiple people to better represent patient diversity. Results could help identify new treatment targets for diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.

Arrival and Return

NASA astronauts  Anil Menon and Jessica Watkins will monitor the Dragon spacecraft’s arrival. It will remain docked to the orbiting laboratory for about a month before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, returning critical science and hardware to teams on Earth. 

Cargo Highlights

Launch 

International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSA) – The final pair of IROSAs that will be installed on the space station, completing the augmentation of its power system to support critical operations, including its safe and controlled deorbit.

Collapsible Continency Urinal and supporting hardware – A demonstration and test unit supporting NASA’s Artemis III mission.  

Canadarm2 joint flight support equipment – A large foam clamshell will fly empty to return the failed robotic arm joint that was replaced during a June 30 spacewalk. After its return to Earth, teams will analyze the joint on the ground.

Additional equipment launching includes a toilet dose pump, a toilet pretreat quality sensor, and a robot micro-conical tool used for space station maintenance and utilization tasks with external replacement units and payloads.

Return

When Dragon returns in mid‑November, it will bring back the failed joint on the Canadarm2 for analysis and refurbishment, a spacesuit for ground refurbishment, a fluid- and pressure-control pump assembly from the urine processor, and a filtration unit for the water processor assembly. 

Source: NASA