17.08.2025
SpaceX CRS-33 resupply mission for NASA
Next up is a SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA.
Set for no earlier than 2:45 a.m. Sunday, August 24, the mission is known as CRS-33. The mission is SpaceX’s 33rd ISS resupply mission for NASA.
The cargo mission includes a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft full of supplies and science for the astronauts onboard the ISS. The resupply spacecraft will be launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
With the spacecraft headed to the International Space Station, the rocket will fly on a northeast trajectory upon liftoff.
While docked to the ISS, the Dragon spacecraft will do something new − it will use a new propulsion system to give a boost to the space station, slightly raising its orbit over a period of time.
Quelle: Florida Today
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Update: 20.08.2025
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NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman CRS-23 Station Resupply Launch
Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. A Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft will launch to the orbital laboratory on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for NASA.
The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23, or Northrop Grumman CRS-23. Liftoff is targeted for mid-September from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Following launch, astronauts aboard the space station will use the Canadarm2 to grapple Cygnus, and the spacecraft will be installed robotically to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading. The spacecraft will remain at the space station for more than two months.
Credentialing to cover prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 27. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center newsroom at: 321-867-2468.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.
This is the 23rd spacecraft built to deliver goods to the International Space Station. In March, NASA and Northrop Grumman moved up the company’s Commercial Resupply Services-23 mission to September following damage to the Cygnus Pressurized Cargo Module during shipping for the company’s Commercial Resupply Services-22 flight.
Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space.
In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Cygnus will deliver research, including materials to produce semiconductor crystals in space and equipment to develop improvements for cryogenic fuel tanks. Cygnus also will deliver a specialized UV light system to prevent biofilm growth and supplies to produce pharmaceutical crystals that could treat cancer and other diseases.
The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that enables research not possible on Earth. For almost 25 years, humans have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 23.08.2025
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NASA’s SpaceX 33rd Commercial Resupply Mission Overview
NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 2:45 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 24, for the next launch to deliver scientific investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
Filled with more than 5,000 pounds of supplies, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, will lift off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Dragon will dock autonomously about 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 25, to the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module.
This launch is the 33rd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency, and the 13th SpaceX launch under the Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract. The first 20 launches were under the original resupply services contract.
Watch agency launch and arrival coverage on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
NASA’s live launch coverage will begin at 2:25 a.m. on Aug 24. Dragon’s arrival coverage will begin at 6 a.m. on Aug. 25. For nearly 25 years, the International Space Station has provided research capabilities used by scientists from over 110 countries to conduct more than 4,000 groundbreaking experiments in microgravity. Research conducted aboard the space station advances Artemis missions to the Moon and human exploration of Mars, while providing multiple benefits to humanity.
Arrival & Departure
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will arrive at the space station and dock autonomously to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 25. NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Jonny Kim will monitor the spacecraft’s arrival. It will stay docked to the orbiting laboratory for about four months before splashing down and returning critical science and hardware to teams on Earth.
Research Highlights
Preventing bone loss in space
A study of bone-forming stem cells in microgravity could provide insight into the basic mechanisms of the bone loss astronauts experience during long-duration space flight ahead of future exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Researchers identified a protein in the body called IL-6 that can send signals to stem cells to promote either bone formation or bone loss. This work evaluates whether blocking IL-6 signals could reduce bone loss during spaceflight. Results could improve our understanding of bone loss on Earth due to aging or disease and lead to new prevention and treatment strategies.
Printing parts, tools in space
Printing parts, tools in space
As mission duration and distance from Earth increase, resupply becomes harder. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, could be used to make parts and dedicated tools on demand, enhancing mission autonomy.
Research aboard the space station has made strides in 3D printing with plastic, but it is not suitable for all uses. Investigations from ESA’s (European Space Agency) Metal 3D Printer builds on recent successful printing of the first metal parts in space.
Bioprinting tissue in microgravity
Researchers plan to bioprint liver tissue containing blood vessels on the ground and examine how the tissue develops in microgravity. Results could help support the eventual production of entire functional organs for transplantation on Earth.
A previous mission tested whether this bioprinted liver tissue survived and functioned in space. This experimental round could show whether microgravity improves the development of the bioprinted tissue.
Biomanufacturing drug-delivery medical devices
Scientists are creating an implantable device in microgravity that could support nerve regrowth after injuries. The device is created through bioprinting, a type of 3D printing that uses living cells or proteins as raw materials.
Traumatic injuries can create gaps between nerves, and existing treatments have a limited ability to restore nerve function and may result in impaired physical function. A bioprinted device to bridge nerve gaps could accelerate recovery and preserve function.
Cargo Highlights
Hardware
Launch:
Reboost Kit – This kit will perform a reboost demonstration of the station to maintain its current altitude. The hardware, located in Dragon’s trunk, contains an independent propellant system, separate from the spacecraft’s main system, to fuel two Draco engines using existing hardware and propellant system design.
The boost kit will demonstrate the capability to maintain the orbiting lab’s altitude starting in September with a series of burns planned periodically throughout the fall of 2025. During NASA’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission, the Dragon spacecraft first demonstrated these capabilities on Nov. 8, 2024.
Poly Exercise Rope Kit – These exercise ropes distribute the desired exercise loads through a series of pulleys for the Advanced Restrictive Exercise Device. The ropes have a limited life cycle, and it will be necessary to replace them once they have reached their limit.
Brine Filter – These filters remove solid particles from liquid in urine during processing as a part of the station’s water recovery system.
Acoustic Monitor – A monitor that measures sound and records the data for download. This monitor will replace the sound level meter and the acoustic dosimeter currently aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Multi-filtration Bed – This space unit will support the Water Processor Assembly and continue the International Space Station Program’s effort to replace a fleet of degraded units aboard the station to improve water quality through a single bed.
Water Separator Orbital Unit – The unit draws air and condensate mixture from a condensing heat exchanger and separates the two components. The air is returned to the cabin air assembly outlet air-flow stream, and the water is delivered to the condensate bus. This unit launches to maintain in-orbit sparing while another is being returned for repair.
Anomaly Gas Analyzer Top Assembly – This battery-powered device detects and monitors gases aboard the station, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide. It also measures cabin pressure, humidity, and temperature. It replaces the Compound Specific Analyzer Combustion Products as the primary tool for detecting airborne chemicals and conditions.
Separator Pump (Water Recovery and Management) – This electrically-powered pump separates liquids and gases while rotating. It includes a scoop pump that moves the separated liquid into storage containers for use in other systems. The pump also contains sensor components and a filter to reduce electrical interference from the motor. Launching to maintain in-orbit sparing.
Reducer Cylinder Assembly & Emergency Portable Breathing Apparatus – Together, this hardware provides 15 minutes of oxygen to a crew member in case of an emergency (smoke, fire, alarm). Two are launching to maintain a minimum in-orbit spare requirement.
Passive Separator Flight Experiment – This experiment will test a new method for separating urine and air using existing technology that combines a water-repellent urine hose with an airflow separator from the station’s existing Waste Hygiene Compartment.
Improved Resupply Water Tanks – Two tanks, each holding approximately 160 pounds of potable water, to supplement the Urine Processing Assembly.
NORS (Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System) Maintenance Tank/Recharge Tank Assembly, Nitrogen – The NORS maintenance kit comprises two assemblies: the NORS recharge tank assembly and the NORS vehicle interface assembly. The recharge tank assembly will be pressurized with nitrogen gas for launch. The vehicle interface assembly will protect the recharge tank assembly for launch and stowage aboard the space station. Launching to maintain reserve oxygen levels on station.
Swab Kits – These quick-disconnect cleaning kits are designed and created to replace in-orbit inventory.
Return:
Oxygen Generation Assembly Pump – The assembly pump converts potable water from the water recovery system into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen is sent to the crew cabin, and the hydrogen is either vented or used to produce more water. The International Space Station has been using this process to produce oxygen and hydrogen for 15 years, and this unit will be retired upon its return to Earth. The flight support equipment within will be refurbished and used in a new pump launched aboard a future flight.
Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Assembly – A carbon dioxide monitor that measures the gas using the infrared absorption sensor. It expired in July 2025 and will return for refurbishment.
Meteoroid Debris Cover Center Section Assembly – This external multilayer insulation provides thermal and micro-meteoroid orbital debris protection on the node port. After it is removed and replaced with a new assembly launching on NASA’s Northrop Grumman 23rd commercial resupply services mission, this unit will return for repair or used for spare parts.
Multi-filtration Bed – This spare unit supports the Water Processor Assembly, which improves water quality aboard the International Space Station. Its return is part of an ongoing effort to replace a degraded fleet of in-orbit units. After its use, this multi-filtration bed will be refurbished for future re-flight.
Separator Pump – This electrically powered pump separates liquids and gases while rotating. It includes a scoop pump that moves the separated liquid into storage containers for use in other systems. The pump also contains sensor components and a filter to reduce electrical interference from the motor. This unit is designed to run to failure, and after investigation and testing, it will be returned for repair and future flight.
Rate Gyro Enclosure Assembly – The Rate Gyro Assembly determines the space station’s rate of angular motion. It is returning for repair and refurbishment and will be used as a spare.
NORS (Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System) Maintenance Kit (Oxygen) – The NORS Maintenance Kit comprises two assemblies: the NORS Recharge Tank Assembly and the NORS Vehicle Interface Assembly. The recharge tank assembly will be pressurized with Nitrogen gas for launch. The vehicle interface assembly will protect the recharge tank assembly for launch and stowage aboard the space station. They are routinely returned for reuse and re-flight. The kit also includes a VIA bag (vehicle interface assembly) with foam, which is used as a cargo transfer bag for launch and return to protect the tank.
Watch, Engage
Watch agency launch and arrival coverage on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
NASA’s live launch coverage will begin at 2:25 a.m. on Aug 24. Dragon’s arrival coverage will begin at 6 a.m. on Aug. 25.
Read more about how to watch and engage.
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 24.08.2025
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CRS-33: SpaceX launches 50th Dragon to ISS on resupply mission for NASA from Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched into the clear night sky on Sunday, Aug. 24, hoisting a Dragon spacecraft full of supplies to the International Space Station.
Known as CRS-33, the mission took off at 2:45 a.m. from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
This launch marked the 33rd resupply mission by Elon Musk's SpaceX under contract for NASA.
The launch also marked the 50th time a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has visited the space station − the first being a resupply demonstration test in May 2012. Since then, Dragon has flown 33 resupply missions and 16 crews − 12 for NASA and four for Axiom Space − to the space station.
CRS-33 will deliever 5,000 lbs. of food, supplies, and experiements to astronauts onboard the International Space Station − but this mission goes beyond being just a resupply mission. Next month, this Dragon spacecraft will be used to give the space station a boost.
SpaceX to boost NASA International Space Station
“NASA contracted with SpaceX a few years ago to provide a reboost capability to the space station. As you know, the space station’s altitude slowly decays over time, due to the thin amount of atmosphere still at our altitude," International Space Station Program Operations Integration Manager Bill Spetch said during a prelaunch press briefing. “To counteract that drag, we must occasionally raise the altitude of the ISS."
Spetch said NASA has used many different ways to maintain altitude in the past, with the main being the Russian segment providing propulsive assist. In the past, NASA also used the space shuttle, the European Space Agency’s ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) spacecraft, and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo spacecraft.
The boost on this current mission will be provided by an independent propellant system located in the Dragon spacecraft's trunk. The adjustment of the space station's altitude is slated to begin in September with multiple boost burns planned throughout the fall season.
The Dragon spacecraft is expected to return to Earth no earlier than December.
SpaceX is also contracted by NASA to safely deorbit the International Space Station after its planned 2030 retirement.
Research on the SpaceX CRS-33 mission
CRS-33 will be carrying more than 50 different scientific studies. Some of these studies are critical for future human space exploration, such as expeditions to Mars.
This includes a study which is investigating the basic mechanisms behind bone loss in microgravity.
“This research team is testing out the hypothesis that blocking a certain protein in the body that is known to promote bone loss or bone health changes may actually help reduce the overall bone loss that astronauts experience in space,” said Heidi Parris, associate program scientist for the ISS Program.
It’s not just those flying in space that these experiments help. Many studies that look into astronaut health also have impacts on Earth-based medicine.
“In addition, the knowledge we gain from this study may also help us find ways to minimize bone loss in patients on Earth,” said Parris.
Another study by the European Space Agency is geared towards maintenance in space. The study, known as Metal 3D Printer, consists of 3D printing metal parts in microgravity. 3D printing parts will be vital on missions to the moon and Mars, as resupply missions will be limited.
“We really have to be able to make do with whatever we have onboard already in order to make tools or spare parts,” said Parris.
According to Parris, there will also be a study which looks into 3D bioprinting – or 3D printing an implantable medical device which supports nerve regrowth after injury by ”bridging the gab to reconnect severed nerves while also simultaneously delivering drugs that can support nerve regeneration."
Lastly, Parris mentioned a study which investigates if microgravity can improve the formation of blood vessels and capillaries in 3D printed liver tissue. Sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory, the study is by Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and developed from NASA’s Vascular Tissue Challenge.
This launch isn't the last of the resupply missions slated for the year. In September, the Russian Progress 93 mission will launch from Baikonur. This will be followed by the Northrop Grumman NG-23 Cygnus resupply mission no eailer than mid-September from Florida.
Quelle: Florida Today
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NASA Science, Cargo Launch on 33rd SpaceX Resupply Mission to Station
Following a successful launch of NASA’s SpaceX 33rd commercial resupply mission, new scientific experiments and cargo for the agency are bound for the International Space Station.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying more than 5,000 pounds of supplies to the orbiting laboratory, lifted off at 2:45 a.m. EDT on Sunday, on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
“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.”
Live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival will begin at 6 a.m., Monday, Aug. 25, on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
The spacecraft is scheduled to dock autonomously at approximately 7:30 a.m. to the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module.
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.
These are just a sample of the hundreds of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, Earth and space science investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory. This research benefits people on Earth while laying the groundwork for other agency deep space missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.
During the mission, Dragon also will perform a reboost demonstration of station to maintain its current altitude. The hardware, located in the trunk of Dragon, contains an independent propellant system separate from the spacecraft to fuel two Draco engines using existing hardware and propellant system design. 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. During NASA’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission on Nov. 8, 2024, the Dragon spacecraft performed its first demonstration of these capabilities.
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.
Quelle: NASA