A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Friday, May 15, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, delivering the 34th commercial resupply mission under NASA's contract. The Falcon 9 carried the Dragon spacecraft, loaded with nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo for Expedition 74 crew members aboard the International Space Station. The launch occurred at 6:05 p.m. EDT, marking the latest in a series of missions supporting research in low Earth orbit.
The Dragon spacecraft is set to autonomously dock at the forward port of the station's Harmony module at about 7 a.m. Sunday, May 17. NASA will broadcast the rendezvous and docking process starting at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency's YouTube channel. The mission includes experiments that could advance understanding of human health, planetary science, and Earth's environment.
Among the cargo is a project to test how well Earth-based simulators replicate microgravity conditions. Another experiment involves a bone scaffold made from wood, which researchers hope could lead to new treatments for osteoporosis. Equipment to study changes in red blood cells and the spleen in space will also be delivered. A new instrument will analyze charged particles around Earth, potentially improving models of how planets form.
The mission also carries tools to measure sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon with high accuracy. These experiments join hundreds of ongoing investigations in biology, biotechnology, and physical sciences aboard the orbiting laboratory. The Dragon spacecraft is expected to remain at the space station until late July, when it will return to Earth with research samples and equipment.