Missions & Launches

Novel research investigations, technology demonstrations, science projects, and much more are slated to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) throughout each calendar year. Learn about the commercial resupply missions and the ISS National Laboratory payloads onboard.

SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft launched from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, for their third official Commercial Resupply (CRS) mission to the orbiting lab on April 18, 2014. Dragon returned to Earth with a parachute assisted splashdown off the coast of southern California on May 14, 2014. Dragon is the only operational spacecraft capable of returning a significant amount of supplies back to Earth, including experiments.

SpaceX CRS-3

Mission: SpaceX CRS-3

Launch date: April 18, 2014 at 3:25 p.m. EDT

Location: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

SpaceX will launch the next cargo mission to the ISS on Monday, April 14 at 4:58 p.m. EDT. The Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying a Dragon spacecraft loaded 5,000 pounds of experiments, crew supplies and other cargo.

201401090006hq (9 Jan. 2014) An Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket is seen as it launches from Pad 0A at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility (Virginia) on Jan. 9, 2014. Antares is carrying the Cygnus spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Orbital 1 mission is Orbital Sciences first contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. Cygnus is carrying science experiments, crew provisions, spare parts and other hardware to the space station.

Orbital-1

Mission: Orbital-1

Launch date: Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 1:07 p.m. EDT

Location: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility

The ISS National Lab is proud to announce its first sponsored payloads berthed with the International Space Station on Sunday, January 12. Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Cygnus capsule successfully berthed with the ISS, marking the completion of its first full ISS resupply mission.

Cygnus Approaches Station The Expedition 37 crew captured Cygnus with the Canadarm2 at 7 a.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013, and attached it to the Harmony node at 8:44 a.m.

Orbital D-1

Mission: Orbital 1

Launch date: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 10:58 a.m. EDT

Location: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia

NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., successfully launched its Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard its Antares rocket. The spacecraft will deliver about 1,300 pounds of cargo, including food and clothing, to the Expedition 37 crew.