NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the 34th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station at 7:16 p.m. EDT on May 12. A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo will lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock autonomously at 9:50 a.m. on May 14 at the forward port of the station’s Harmony module. The mission will deliver science investigations, crew supplies, and research equipment to astronauts aboard the space station.
Among the new experiments on board is a project studying how accurately Earth-based simulators recreate microgravity conditions. The mission will also carry a wood-based bone scaffold aimed at developing treatments for fragile bone conditions such as osteoporosis, along with equipment to examine how red blood cells and the spleen adapt in space to support future astronaut health.
The spacecraft will also transport a new instrument designed to study charged particles around Earth that can affect satellites and power grids. Additional payloads include research focused on understanding planetary formation and a device that will measure sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon with high precision.
NASA will provide live coverage of the launch and docking on its streaming platform, an online retail platform, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Launch coverage begins at 7 p.m. on May 12, while docking coverage starts at 8:20 a.m. on May 14.
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the station until mid-June before returning to Earth with time-sensitive research materials and cargo, splashing down off the coast of California.
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