SpaceX successfully launched its latest Cargo Dragon mission to the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday morning, delivering vital supplies, science experiments, and a new propulsion system designed to assist with orbital maintenance.
Credit: SpaceX
Riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket, the uncrewed Dragon capsule carried more than 5,000 pounds of cargo, including equipment for over 50 science investigations. Among the payloads are hardware for 3D metal printing, research into bone loss, and other experiments aimed at improving both life in space and on Earth.
This flight, designated Commercial Resupply Services mission CRS-33, marks SpaceX’s 33rd resupply run under contract with NASA and the 50th Dragon spacecraft to reach the orbiting laboratory. Docking at the Harmony module’s forward port is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 25, at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 UTC).
“Through these missions, we’ve delivered more than 300,000 pounds of cargo and enabled over 1,000 scientific investigations that are not only expanding our ability to live and work in space, but also driving discoveries that benefit life on Earth,” said Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s director of Dragon Mission Management.
The spacecraft, Dragon C211, is making its third trip to the station and will remain docked for nearly five months—unprecedented for a cargo Dragon. The extended stay will allow it to conduct multiple orbital reboosts of the ISS, reducing reliance on Russian Progress vehicles and the station’s own thrusters.
NASA officials emphasized the mission’s significance as the ISS approaches a major milestone: 25 years of continuous human presence in orbit.
“Over that time, we’ve hosted more than 280 crew members, carried out over 4,000 experiments, and engaged more than 5,000 researchers from over 110 countries,” noted Heidi Parris, associate program scientist for NASA’s ISS Research Office.
The new propulsion package aboard Dragon is part of NASA and its partners’ broader strategy to manage the station’s lifespan through the end of the decade. SpaceX is also contracted to develop the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, expected between 2028 and 2029, which will guide the ISS safely out of orbit when its mission ends around 2030.
“This mission makes Dragon an even more integrated part of ISS operations,” Walker added. “It’s exciting to support this critical new capability as we prepare for the station’s future.”
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