ISS Operations Continue with New Cargo and Crews

NASA’s flagship laboratory, the International Space Station (ISS), has returned to a period of normalcy, but as the facility approaches its third decade of operation – considerable shakeups and changes are expected as the space agencies responsible face an uncertain future. In the past few months, ISS operations have seen a flurry of milestones and adjustments driven by both routine mission cadence and newer technical challenges. Despite this, NASA and its international partners have reaffirmed their commitment to keep the station functioning at least until 2030. Crewed missions, despite some scheduling adjustments caused by the Starliner CFT mission and other United States Orbital Segment needs, have resumed their normal cadence with the arrival of Crew-11 in August 2025 with a four-member international team, continuing the 25 year cadence of continuous crew presence onboard the orbiting laboratory.

SpaceX’s CRS-33 is the 33rd Commercial Resupply Services mission carried out by the company for NASA to the ISS, and marks the company’s 50th Dragon flight to the station—including both cargo and crewed missions. The mission launched on August 24, 2025, at approximately 2:45 a.m. EDT aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40, with docking occurring autonomously at the Harmony module’s forward port on August 25, 2025, after about a 29-hour rendezvous. The Dragon capsule, Cargo Dragon C211, delivered over 5,000 pounds of supplies, equipment, and scientific experiments, including fresh food, crew provisions, 3D-printing tools, bioprinting hardware, and a notable stem-cell investigation from the Mayo Clinic focused on combating microgravity-induced bone loss.

One of the crucial upgrades debuted on CRS-33 is the “boost kit” housed in Dragon’s unpressurized trunk; comprising six propellant tanks containing hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, a helium pressurant, and two Draco thrusters. This kit, operating independently of Dragon’s primary systems, is designed to perform ISS reboosts, supplying around one-third to one-fourth of the station’s annual reboost needs. Demonstration reboosts began in September 2025 and will continue through fall. After its stay aboard the ISS, which is currently scheduled to last until December, Dragon will undock and return to Earth with research samples and cargo—splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off California. The pressurized capsule will be recovered for future reflight, whereas the trunk will burn up on reentry. 

Northrop Grumman’s NG-23 resupply mission launched on September 14, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft is named S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool in memory of the astronaut lost in the 2003 Columbia disaster. Northrop Grumman has booked one additional flight aboard Falcon 9 as Northrop Grumman and Firefly continue work on their Antares 330 launch vehicle. Antares 330 replaces older Antares variants, notably the 230+, which relied on Russian and Ukrainian components. The Antares 330 configuration, alongside its sister rocket Eclipse, will utilize a domestically built first stage with 7 Miranda engines, and launch out of Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. 

This mission marks the debut of the new Cygnus XL, a stretch to the spacecraft which boosts the vehicle’s cargo capacity and internal volume. This increases the cargo capacity by about 5,000 kg of supplies over previous versions. Among its payloads are crew supplies, spare hardware, and several science and technology experiments—such as semiconductor crystal growth, UV systems to reduce microbial growth in water, pharmaceutical crystallization, and tests relating to cryogenic fuel storage. Despite a nominal launch, propulsion system issues delayed the arrival from Wednesday, September 17th to 7:18 AM on September 18th, with the station’s Canadarm2 grappling and berthing the spacecraft early Thursday morning. Cygnus is planned to remain berthed to the ISS through early 2026, after which it will depart from the station, deploy any remaining CubeSats or free-flying experiments, and then undergo controlled destructive reentry.

For continued resupply, Japan is preparing to launch the first next generation cargo spacecraft, the New Space Station Resupply Vehicle or HTV-X in late October. The vehicle is the first Japanese built spacecraft to visit the station in over 5 years – replacing the venerable HTV cargo and logistics vehicle which operated from 2009-2020. Taking advantage of the larger and more powerful H3 rocket, HTV-X will provide nearly 9,000 pounds of pressurized cargo, and 3,000 pounds of unpressurized external payload capacity. The vehicle is also capable of transporting International Standard Payload Racks, the modular research and support systems that line the inside of the ISS’ walls in the United States Orbital Segment. Other spacecraft, such as Cygnus and Dragon, are limited by the diameter of their hatches; the Space Shuttle carrying the Multi Purpose Logistics Module was the only other system capable of delivering these vital components. HTV-X is also projected to be upgraded in support of future potential Artemis missions, utilizing the H3 architecture to send the vehicle to cislunar space. 

NASA is weighing longer stays for U.S. crew missions aboard vehicles like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, with rotations potentially stretching from the current six months to about eight. The change would help align with Russian flight schedules, streamlining handovers and reducing the number of crewed launches required to maintain a continuous presence on the International Space Station. This strategy is the likely culmination of careful management of agency resources in a more constrained budgetary environment, exacerbated by the ongoing showdown between Congress and the White House. Crew-11, launched in August, is already being considered for an extended stay as part of this shift, although the ultimate time frame is not set in stone. For mission scientists, however, these longer rotations offer significant research benefits as NASA works to broaden access to LEO. An eight-month tour provides more data on how astronauts adapt to prolonged microgravity; covering muscle and bone health, radiation exposure, and behavioral factors, all critical for planning future deep-space missions.

Several key milestones over the next year, however, remain uncertain. Both Dream Chaser’s debut and Starliner’s first crew rotation, designated Star-1, exist in a state of limbo; driven by ISS scheduling and spacecraft systems readiness. As reported by Space Scout, the first Dream Chaser, Tenacity, was delivered to Kennedy Space Center over a year ago, with no clear plan for when the vehicle is supposed to fly. Schedule drivers for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket forced Sierra Space’s cargo spaceplane to be removed from the manifest, with its future uncertain. Starliner has faced a high degree of scrutiny since its uncrewed return in September of 2024, with agency leadership continuing to identify a path forward for the introduction of Starliner into crewed operations. 

As the ISS enters its third decade in orbit, its operations reflect a balance between tradition and transformation. The station continues to deliver groundbreaking science and serve as a hub for international cooperation, while new vehicles and extended crew stays signal a shift toward future exploration priorities. Yet uncertainty remains: delayed programs, shifting political winds, and the looming need for a controlled deorbit all weigh on the station’s horizon. What emerges in the coming years will define not only the final chapter of the ISS, but also how its legacy shapes humanity’s next steps in low Earth orbit and beyond.