SpaceX launched its CRS-35 cargo mission at 6:33 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, carrying more than 6,300 pounds of supplies and hardware to the International Space Station for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. CRS-35 is SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the station.
NASA says the Dragon spacecraft docked autonomously at 10:27 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 15, at the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. Its cargo includes the final pair of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSAs), which complete an upgrade of the station’s power system. Dragon is scheduled to stay until mid-November before returning research and failed hardware to Earth.
Mission Snapshot for CRS-35
CRS-35 launched on October 13, 2026, with more than 6,300 pounds of cargo, and its Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station at 10:27 a.m. EDT on October 15. NASA lists the docking point as the space-facing port of the Harmony module. Dragon is scheduled to stay until mid-November.
The flight is SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA. This flight carries supplies, hardware, and research up to the station and is scheduled to return research and failed hardware to Earth. NASA credits the station with more than 25 years of research support, scientists from more than 110 countries, and more than 4,000 experiments in microgravity.
| Mission Detail | Published Information | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mission | SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services flight for NASA | NASA launch release |
| Launch Time | 6:33 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | NASA launch release |
| Launch Site | Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | NASA launch release |
| Rocket | SpaceX Falcon 9 | NASA launch release |
| Cargo Weight | More than 6,300 pounds of supplies, hardware, and science | NASA launch release; NASA launch blog |
| Headline Cargo | Final pair of IROSAs | NASA launch release |
| Docking | 10:27 a.m. EDT, Thursday, October 15, 2026, Harmony space-facing port (target was 11 a.m.) | NASA space station blog; NASA launch release |
| Planned Stay | Until mid-November, about a month | NASA launch release; NASA mission overview |
| Planned Splashdown | Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California | NASA launch release |
A Reddit post on r/SpaceXLounge titled “CRS-35 from Jacksonville” indicates the launch drew viewers along Florida’s coast.
Launch and Docking Schedule for CRS-35
The Falcon 9 lifted off at 6:33 a.m. EDT, matching the target NASA published in its coverage release. NASA’s launch coverage began at 6:15 a.m. EDT. According to the NASA space station blog, Dragon separated from the second stage about nine minutes after launch, opened its nosecone, and began a series of thruster firings to reach the station.
| Event | Date and Time (EDT) | Status as of October 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 | 6:33 a.m., October 13, 2026 | Complete |
| Dragon separates from second stage | About 9 minutes after liftoff | Complete |
| NASA rendezvous and docking coverage begins | 9:15 a.m., October 15, 2026 | Complete |
| Autonomous docking at Harmony space-facing port | 10:27 a.m., October 15, 2026 | Complete |
| Dragon departs the station | Mid-November 2026 | Scheduled |
| Splashdown off California | After departure | Scheduled |
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk were scheduled to monitor Dragon’s arrival from the station, according to the NASA mission overview. NASA streamed docking coverage on NASA Live starting at 9:15 a.m. EDT on October 15.
NASA held a preview teleconference on Thursday, October 8. That call also gave a post-splashdown update on the Crew-12 mission, which returned to Earth that morning.
CRS-35 Dragon at the International Space Station
Yes, the CRS-35 Dragon docked to the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 10:27 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 15, 2026, according to the NASA space station blog. NASA’s launch release had set autonomous docking for 11 a.m. EDT, so Dragon arrived ahead of that target. The mission had lifted off at 6:33 a.m. EDT on October 13 aboard a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Dragon brought more than 6,300 pounds of food, supplies and equipment for the Expedition 75 crew on SpaceX’s 35th commercial resupply services mission for NASA. The cargo includes the final set of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSAs), which NASA says will be installed later this fall. NASA has not published spacewalk dates for that installation, and the Roll-Out Solar Array explainer covers how these arrays work.
The science aboard spans several fields NASA names in its docking post:
- Hardware to manufacture artificial retinas in microgravity, aimed at helping restore vision on Earth.
- 3D heart tissue models meant to advance large-scale drug testing on future missions.
- Materials to study how a new type of glass forms in microgravity.
- Brain organoids that could reveal treatment targets for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
Dragon is scheduled to stay at the station until mid-November, then undock and return to Earth with time-critical research and cargo. The spacecraft will splash down off the coast of California, and NASA has not published an exact departure date. To track the undocking and splashdown as they are announced, follow the NASA space station blog.
Final Roll-Out Solar Arrays for the Station
CRS-35 carries the final pair of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, the last IROSAs that will be installed on the station. NASA’s launch release says these arrays complete the augmentation of the station’s power system.
NASA names three uses for that power: research, operations, and the station’s safe, controlled deorbit. For background on the array design, see Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) Explained, and for the end-of-life plan, see ISS Deorbit Explained.
Astronauts will install the arrays during a series of spacewalks planned for later this fall. NASA has not published dates for those spacewalks.
Health Research Aboard CRS-35
NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) division lists four investigations on this flight, described in its CRS-35 science release. Two fall under precision health, one under space crops, and one is the first test of a compact microplate reader.
- Brain models. Small lab-grown models of the human brain stay on the station for five weeks. Researchers compare them with identical models kept on Earth to see how a short spaceflight affects the brain at the cellular level. NASA says this could lay groundwork for countering brain-health risks on Moon missions and beyond.
- Crop disease. Scientists test whether crop diseases develop faster and more severely in microgravity. They compare molecular and structural changes between Earth-grown and station-grown plants infected with a disease-causing fungus. Findings could guide breeding of disease-resistant crops on Earth and reduce yield losses in future space agriculture.
- Compact microplate reader. This is the first test of a device that arrived on the station earlier in 2026, under the Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science initiative. It detects and measures biomarkers such as antibodies, antigens, and proteins. Scientists can analyze samples aboard the station instead of waiting for them to return, which supports timely detection of infections and other health issues in astronauts.
- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study returns for its fourth and final planned stay on the station. Astronauts repeatedly sample surfaces to monitor drug-resistant organisms. The results could help protect astronauts against infections and show how superbugs develop from antibiotic overuse on Earth.
Additional Science Investigations
The NASA mission overview lists four more experiments flying on CRS-35, covering eye implants, heart tissue, glass, and brain disease.
- LambdaVision-1. This experiment tests manufacturing artificial eye retinas in microgravity, one thin layer at a time. Reduced settling in microgravity may create more uniform and stable layers, which could improve how the implants perform. The work could help patients with retinal diseases that are currently incurable.
- Stellar Spheroids. Researchers study how microgravity affects the growth and function of 3D human heart tissue models. They will assess whether microgravity improves the formation of advanced vascular networks. Results could help build more realistic heart tissue models for disease research and support larger-scale drug testing on future space missions.
- ELF-Unconventional Glass 2. This study looks at how glass forms in microgravity from non-traditional elements. Molten behavior is observed in space, and solid samples come back for ground analysis. NASA says such glasses could offer higher strength, better optical capabilities, and greater durability for spacecraft, habitats, and other exploration hardware.
- MINDS. This study uses brain organoids to understand inflammation linked to neurodegenerative diseases. It uses “organoid villages” that combine cells from multiple people. NASA says the work could help identify treatment targets for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.
Station Hardware Launching and Returning
Beyond science and solar arrays, CRS-35 carries other hardware. The NASA mission overview lists these items going up:
- A Collapsible Contingency Urinal and supporting hardware, a demonstration and test unit supporting NASA’s Artemis III mission.
- Canadarm2 joint flight support equipment, including a large foam clamshell that flies up empty.
- A toilet dose pump and a toilet pretreat quality sensor.
- A robot micro-conical tool for maintenance work on external replacement units and payloads.
The empty clamshell has a return job. It will carry home the failed Canadarm2 robotic arm joint that astronauts replaced during a June 30 spacewalk, and teams will analyze the joint on the ground.
When Dragon departs in mid-November, NASA lists these items for the trip home:
- The failed Canadarm2 joint, for analysis and refurbishment.
- A spacesuit, for refurbishment on the ground.
- A fluid- and pressure-control pump assembly from the urine processor.
- A filtration unit for the water processor assembly.
CRS-35 is SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services flight for NASA, so the station’s cargo, research and hardware returns depend on recurring commercial flights.
Details Not Published in NASA Notices
The NASA notices reviewed for this page leave several operational details out.
- The Falcon 9 booster’s flight history and landing outcome.
- A dated schedule for the IROSA installation spacewalks.
- An exact return date for Dragon beyond “mid-November.”
Check NASA’s space station page and the NASA space station blog for updates on these items.
Related Reading
For background on the rocket, the station, and recent crew flights, see these pages: