New Science, Supplies Head to ISS on CRS-35
SpaceX’s CRS-35 mission took flight early Tuesday morning, delivering a spectacular display on its way to resupply the International Space Station. Set to dock to the orbiting laboratory on October 15th, the Dragon spacecraft will bring around 6,300 lbs of supplies, equipment, and human health experiments to the Expedition 75/76 crew.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 6:33 AM ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, creating a dramatic “jellyfish” effect in the pre-dawn sky. After stage separation, the first stage booster returned to SpaceX’s Landing Zone 40, adjacent to the launch pad.
Many of the science experiments Dragon carries to the ISS will study human health in microgravity, with applications for people on Earth. One system will manufacture an artificial retina in the weightless environment, while another will study brain organoids to inform future treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. A third will investigate heart tissue models with an eye towards improving space-based drug research.
Dragon also carries the final set of roll-out solar arrays (iROSAs) for the ISS. These have been installed over the station’s older, less efficient solar panels since 2021, augmenting the aging facility’s power needs. The crew will also receive a collapsible urine tube, made famous during the Artemis II mission, for testing ahead of Artemis III next year.
In exchange, Dragon will receive a joint from the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm which recently failed, allowing the joint to be brought to Earth for analysis. The spacecraft will remain on station for about a month, returning to Earth sometime in November.
