US aerospace company SpaceX launched its 35th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday morning, sending scientific research, critical hardware and operational cargo into orbit.
Loaded with more than 6,300 pounds (2,860 kilograms) of supplies, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The rocket lifted off at 6.34 am local time (1034GMT), marking the fourth orbital trip for the Dragon cargo vehicle and the eighth flight for the first-stage booster.
The cargo manifest includes the final pair of roll-out solar arrays designed to expand power capacity for station operations, upcoming research and eventual controlled deorbit procedures. Astronauts will install the units during spacewalks planned for late autumn.
The Dragon is carrying experiments to manufacture artificial retinas in microgravity to support vision restoration on Earth, alongside three-dimensional heart tissue models and brain organoids aimed at evaluating potential therapies for neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
The spacecraft is expected to complete an autonomous docking with the station's Harmony module around 11 am local time (1500GMT) on Thursday.
The resupply mission comes as the International Space Station prepares for its final phase of operations, with the orbiting facility scheduled to conclude its orbital duties at the end of 2030.
