SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on October 15 at 10:27 a.m. EDT, delivering more than 6,300 pounds of food, supplies, and scientific equipment for the Expedition 75 crew. The mission, which launched October 13 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is SpaceX's 35th commercial resupply flight under its NASA contract.
Among the experiments are tiny brain organoids—three-dimensional models grown from cells—that researchers will use to study brain biology and potential treatment targets for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. The cargo also includes 3D heart tissue models for testing many drug candidates, equipment for manufacturing artificial retinas in microgravity, and materials for studying how a new type of glass forms without Earth's gravity.
The spacecraft carried the final set of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, which are expected to expand the station's power supply when installed later this fall. Dragon is scheduled to remain docked until mid-November, then return time-sensitive research samples to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California.