NASA Science, Cargo Launch on 34th SpaceX Resupply Mission

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft, launched on Friday, May 15, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission is headed to the International Space Station. The spacecraft lifted off at 6:05 p.m. EDT Friday.

Mission Details

The Dragon spacecraft is loaded with nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo for the space station’s Expedition 74 crew. It is scheduled to autonomously dock at about 7 a.m. Sunday, May 17, to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft will remain at the station until mid-June, when it will depart and return to Earth with time-sensitive research and cargo.

Scientific Experiments

The Dragon spacecraft will deliver several new experiments to the space station. These include a project to determine how well Earth-based simulators mimic microgravity conditions, a bone scaffold made from wood that could produce new treatments for fragile bone conditions like osteoporosis, and equipment to help researchers evaluate how red blood cells and the spleen change in space. The spacecraft will also carry a new instrument to study charged particles around Earth and an instrument designed to take highly accurate measurements of sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon.

Key points

• The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched with the Dragon cargo spacecraft on Friday, May 15, 2026.
• The spacecraft is loaded with nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo for the space station’s Expedition 74 crew.
• The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock at the space station on Sunday, May 17.
• The spacecraft will deliver several new experiments to the space station, including a project to study microgravity conditions and a bone scaffold made from wood.
• The Dragon spacecraft will remain at the station until mid-June, when it will depart and return to Earth with time-sensitive research and cargo.