SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft has successfully docked with ISS bringing 2.3 tonnes of food, equipment and science from Earth and marking its 33rd re-supply mission for NASA.
The spacecraft docked autonomously with the space station 28 hours and 20 minutes after its 2:45am launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This mission is the 13th under NASA’s tripartite $14 billion Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract – the first 20 launches were covered by NASA’s original resupply services contract.
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. Dragon also will deliver bioprinted liver tissue to study blood vessel development in microgravity, as well as supplies to 3D print metal cubes in space.
During the mission, Dragon also will perform a reboost demonstration of station to maintain its current altitude. The hardware contains an independent propellant system separate from the spacecraft, with 800kg of fuel held in the unpressurized trunk of the spacecraft to fuel two Draco engines. The boost kit will help sustain the orbiting lab’s altitude starting in September with a series of burns planned periodically throughout the fall of 2025; and demonstrate further applications in the field of orbital servicing.
During NASA’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission on Nov. 8, 2024, the Dragon spacecraft performed its first demonstration of these capabilities.
“Commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station deliver science that helps prove technologies for Artemis lunar missions and beyond,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “This flight will test 3D printing metal parts and bioprinting tissue in microgravity – technology that could give astronauts tools and medical support on future Moon and Mars missions.”
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until December, when it will depart the orbiting laboratory and return to Earth with research and cargo, splashing down off the coast of California.
Estimated $300 million delivery fee
Detailed per-mission pricing is not publicly disclosed, but average costs across CRS-2 missions are estimated at around $300 million each, with SpaceX’s per-kilogram costs about 50% higher than under CRS-1.
SpaceX officials had previously said those increased prices were due to new CRS-2 contract terms that required a redesign of the spacecraft’s interior to increase the useable cargo volume by 30 percent, longer duration missions, accelerated cargo loading and unloading timeframes, and quicker required access to time-critical research cargo after the Dragon 2 returns to Earth. They also indicated that their CRS-2 pricing reflected a better understanding of the costs involved after several years of experience with cargo resupply missions. Other factors, such as the new requirement for contractors to carry up to $100 million worth of insurance per flight and reduced discounts due to fewer missions flown contributed to SpaceX’s increased CRS-2 pricing, SpaceX told NASA auditors.
