CRS-35 set to launch to ISS with final iROSA arrays, experiments, and other items

Date:
Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:08:32 +0000

Description:
The International Space Station, fresh off a crew handover and the return of Crew-12 to The post CRS-35 set to launch to ISS with final iROSA arrays, experiments, and other items appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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The International Space Station, fresh off a crew handover and the return of Crew-12 to Earth, is about to receive a new cargo ship. SpaceX Cargo Dragon C211, making its fourth flight, is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, Oct. 13,
at 6:33 AM EDT (10:33 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on the CRS-35 mission.



The weather forecast for the launch shows less than a five percent chance of violation on Tuesday, a five percent chance on Wednesday, and a 10% chance on Thursday, with the cumulus cloud rule being the only concern. CRS-35 will
take a northeast trajectory after liftoff, placing the Cargo Dragon in an orbit inclined 51.6 degrees to the equator, the same inclination used by the Station. Booster B1096, flying for the eighth time, will conduct a return-to-launch-site recovery at Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40), next to the launch pad.



The booster began its career with the Amazon Leo KF-01 mission and has previously flown the IMAP, Starlink 6-87, NROL-77, GPS III SV09, CRS-34, and NROL-95 missions. All of B1096s missions have flown from Florida to date. In addition, Cargo Dragon C211 began its career with the CRS-26 launch and has also flown CRS-29 and CRS-33. See Also CRS-35 Updates ISS Section Click here to Join L2

Once CRS-35 reaches orbit, Dragon will take just over 52 hours to rendezvous and dock with the Stations Harmony module. Docking is currently set for Thursday, Oct. 15, at 15:00 UTC to Harmony szenith docking port, and astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk will monitor the arrival. The zenith port is the same port that was just vacated by Crew-12 aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom .

CRS-35 will carry 2,867 kg of cargo to the Station, including 593 kg of science experiments, 383 kg of crew supplies, 362 kg of vehicle hardware, 189 kg of spacewalk equipment, and 36 kg of computer resources. In addition, the Cargo Dragon is carrying 1,195 kg of cargo in its unpressurized trunk.

The unpressurized cargo in the trunk is the last set of Redwire-developed and Boeing-built iROSA solar arrays to augment the Stations power supply. These final arrays will be installed on power channel 3B on the starboard S6 truss segment and on channel 2A on the port P4 truss segment. These channels
already are prepared for iROSA installation due to work done on previous spacewalks conducted earlier this year by the Expedition 74 and 75 crews. iROSA arrays packed in the Cargo Dragons trunk during the CRS-28 mission. (Credit: NASA)

Six iROSA arrays, each generating 20 to 28 kilowatts of electricity, are already installed on the ISS. Once these final arrays are attached during future spacewalks, the Station will receive an additional 20 to 30% of power. This will improve the power supply margin to keep the ISS going through its final years and decommissioning, as the original solar arrays that launched with the Station are aging and degraded.

The 593 kg of science experiments include studies of vision, heart tissue, glass making, and neurodegenerative diseases. One notable experiment is the LambdaVision-1, which will test manufacturing artificial retinas in microgravity. The experiment will manufacture these retinas one thin layer at a time, and investigators hope that the microgravity environment will enable more uniform, stable layers, improving the retinas performance.

The Stellar Spheroids experiment will study how the microgravity environment affects growth and function of 3D human heart tissue models. Investigators will test whether microgravity can lead to more advanced vascular networks, with potential outcomes including more realistic heart tissue models to support disease research and larger-scale drug testing. The Stellar Spheroids experiment carried aboard CRS-35. (Credit: NASA)

Another experiment, ELF-Unconventional Glass 2, will form glass in microgravity using non-traditional elements. Behavior of molten material will be studied, and solid samples will be returned to Earth. Investigators hope this will lead to stronger, more durable, and more capable glass for spacecraft and other technologies.

The MINDS experiment will study brain organoids in organoid villages
combining cells from multiple people. This study is meant to better
understand inflammation that can lead to neurodegenerative diseases. Investigators hope to identify new treatment targets for Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and multiple sclerosis.

CRS-35 is also carrying a collapsible contingency urinal test unit for the Artemis III mission aboard the Orion spacecraft, as well as a toilet dose
pump and a pretreatment quality sensor. In addition, the Cargo Dragon is carrying a robotic micro-conical tool for Station maintenance with external replacement units and payloads. Cargo Dragon C211 is seen prior to docking to ISS on the CRS-33 mission. (Credit: NASA JSC)

The Cargo Dragon will spend around a month in orbit before returning to Earth off the coast of California with critical samples and other cargo. The spacecraft will return a failed Canadarm2 joint for analysis, using a large foam clamshell Dragon will carry on its way up to the Station.

Cargo Dragons ability to return cargo to Earth is also critical for maintaining the Stations Shuttle-era extravehicular mobility unit spacesuits, as well as other ISS systems. CRS-35 will return one spacesuit to Earth for refurbishment, and the spacecraft will also return a urine processor pump assembly and a water processor filtration unit.

CRS-35 will be the 113th Falcon 9 mission of 2026, and the 119th mission overall for SpaceX this year. While crew and cargo Dragon flights continue over the next several years, the company is beginning to phase out Dragon and Falcon 9 to focus on Starship operations. The crew and cargo supply
spacecraft landscape for future commercial space stations will therefore likely be very different from todays reliance on Dragon, Cygnus, and Progress spacecraft for ISS operations.

(Lead image: Falcon 9 and Cargo Dragon C211 sit atop SLC-40 ahead of CRS-35. Credit: SpaceX)



The post CRS-35 set to launch to ISS with final iROSA arrays, experiments,
and other items appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/10/crs-35-launch/


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