NASA launches cargo to ISS May 14

NASA and SpaceX were set to launch the CRS-34 cargo mission to the International Space Station on Friday, May 15, after weather pushed back an earlier attempt, according to NASA and SpaceX. The uncrewed Dragon spacecraft was due to lift off at 6:05 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. NASA said the spacecraft was loaded with about 6,500 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies and station hardware for the Expedition 74 crew. SpaceX described the flight as Dragon’s 34th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA. ### Was the cargo mission launched on May 14? NASA’s own updates show the launch did not take place on May 14. A NASA space station blog post published May 14 said CRS-34 was “now targeting” launch no earlier than 6:05 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 15. A separate NASA update published May 13 said teams had stood down from a previous opportunity because of inclement weather and anvil cloud launch violations around Space Launch Complex 40. (nasa.gov) SpaceX’s mission page also listed Friday, May 15, as the target date, with liftoff set for 6:05 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral. That makes the May 14 imagery circulating on NASA channels prelaunch coverage rather than confirmation that the vehicle had already flown that day. ### What exactly is riding inside Dragon? NASA said Dragon was packed with science, supplies and equipment for the station crew, including projects tied to human health, materials research and Earth and space observations. (nasa.gov) The agency said the cargo included a project testing how well Earth-based simulators reproduce microgravity, a wood-based bone scaffold that could aid research into fragile bone conditions such as osteoporosis, and equipment to study how red blood cells and the spleen change in space. (spacex.com) The same NASA advisory said Dragon was also carrying an instrument to study charged particles around Earth that can affect power grids and satellites, an investigation aimed at improving understanding of planet formation, and an instrument designed to measure sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon with high accuracy. NASA did not assign a dollar value to the cargo in the materials reviewed. (nasa.gov) ### Where is Dragon supposed to go once it reaches orbit? NASA said the spacecraft is scheduled to dock autonomously to the forward port of the Harmony module at about 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 17. The agency’s station blog used the same destination and said the cargo is intended for the Expedition 74 crew aboard the orbital laboratory. (nasa.gov) The International Space Station was already supporting routine science and maintenance as the cargo flight approached. NASA’s May 14 station update said astronaut Jessica Meir worked on the Veg-06 plant study, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot prepared microscope hardware, and NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway handled maintenance and cargo tasks. (nasa.gov) ### How long will this cargo ship stay at the station? NASA said Dragon is expected to remain at the station until mid-June. The spacecraft is then scheduled to depart the orbiting laboratory and return time-sensitive research samples and cargo to Earth, splashing down off the coast of California, according to the agency’s advisory. (nasa.gov) Unlike some other cargo craft, Dragon is used for both delivery and return. NASA’s advisory highlighted the return leg as the route for time-sensitive research, though it did not specify in the release which samples would come back on this mission. ### Where did the May 14 rollout images come from? (nasa.gov) NASA’s station blog and live-coverage post on May 13 included imagery and language showing a Falcon 9 with Dragon standing at Space Launch Complex 40 in preparation for launch. One NASA caption identified the rocket and spacecraft in vertical position at the Florida pad on Monday, May 11, 2026. NASA used those updates to support live coverage as the target launch time shifted. (nasa.gov) NASA said viewers could watch mission coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime and the agency’s YouTube channel. The next public milestone after launch is the planned docking at the Harmony module’s forward port at about 7 a.m. EDT on Sunday, May 17, followed by Dragon’s stay at the station until mid-June. (nasa.gov 1) (nasa.gov 2)