SpaceX Falcon 9 launched its 33rd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-33) mission to the International Space Station(ISS|) on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 0645 UTC from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The mission carried a Dragon cargo capsule loaded with over 2,270 kilograms of supplies, equipment, and scientific experiments to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster, which performed a successful landing on the SpaceX drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, was on its seventh flight.
CRS-33 Dragon is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Monday (Aug. 25) at the forward port of the Harmony module at about 1130 UTC.
The Dragon cargo includes bone-forming stem cells to study bone loss prevention, materials for 3D printing medical implants to treat nerve damage, bioprinted liver tissue to study blood vessel development in microgravity, and supplies for 3D printing metal cubes in space. These experiments are vital for advancing technology for future Artemis lunar missions and long-duration spaceflight.
"In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Dragon will deliver several experiments, including bone-forming stem cells for studying bone loss prevention and materials to 3D print medical implants that could advance treatments for nerve damage on Earth," NASA officials said in a prelaunch statement. "Dragon also will deliver bioprinted liver tissue to study blood vessel development in microgravity and supplies to 3D print metal cubes in space."
A significant feature of this mission is the Dragon capsule's new independent propulsion system, consisting of two Draco engines and a propellant supply mounted in its trunk. This system will allow the Dragon to perform orbit-raising maneuvers (reboosts) for the ISS starting in September 2025, a capability previously handled solely by Russian Progress spacecraft.
This orbit-raising maneuver is a full demonstration, building on a smaller test from the CRS-31 mission in November 2024. The system is expected to provide about a quarter of the annual propulsion needed to maintain the station's 400 kilometer-high orbit.
NASA has tasked its U.S. cargo ship suppliers — SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, which builds the Cygnus vehicle — to perform reboost demonstrations as supplements. (The ISS is expected to keep operating until late 2030 or early 2031).
CRS-33 is the 33rd resupply flight under SpaceX's contract with NASA, delivering critical cargo including food, crew supplies, spacewalk gear, computer equipment, and 50 new research projects to the ISS. Resupply missions launch every few months to deliver more supplies to the astronauts living on board the ISS.
The CRS-33 Dragon will remain docked to the ISS until December 2025, allowing astronauts to conduct experiments and prepare for its return. They will load Dragon with cargo and completed science experiments for shipment back to Earth, and the spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast.
