SpaceX CRS-33

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SpaceX CRS-33
The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fires its Draco engines (iss073e0606130).jpg
Cargo Dragon  C211 fires its Draco engines as it approaches ISS
NamesCRS SpX-33
Mission type ISS resupply
Operator SpaceX
COSPAR ID 2025-186A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 65304 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Mission duration22 days, 16 hours and 40 minutes (in progress)
3 months (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCargo Dragon  C211
Spacecraft type Cargo Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Start of mission
Launch dateAugust 24, 2025, 06:45:36  UTC (2:45:36 am  EDT)
Rocket Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1090.7), Flight 520
Launch site Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40
End of mission
Recovered by MV Shannon (planned)
Landing dateDecember 2025 (planned)
Landing site Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles, Oceanside, or San Diego (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude 374 km (232 mi)
Apogee altitude 377 km (234 mi)
Inclination 51.6°
Docking with ISS
Docking port Harmony forward
Docking dateAugust 25, 2025, 11:05 UTC
Undocking dateDecember 2025 (planned)
Time docked21 days, 12 hours and 20 minutes (in progress)
Cargo
Mass2,300 kg (5,100 lb)
SpaceX CRS-33 Patch.png
Mission insignia

SpaceX CRS-33, also known as SpX-33, is a International Space Station (ISS) cargo resupply mission contracted by NASA and operated by SpaceX. The flight, launched on August 24, 2025 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is SpaceX's 33rd cargo delivery mission under the Commercial Resupply Services program and the company's 50th overall Dragon flight to the ISS, including both cargo and crew missions. [1]

Contents

Boost kit demonstration

A distinguishing feature of this mission is the inclusion of a "boost kit" propulsion module in Dragon's hollow unpressurized trunk, which is typically used to carry larger experiments that are robotically attached to the outside of the ISS. The kit comprises six dedicated propellant tanks containing hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, a helium pressurant tank, and two Draco thrusters aligned with the station's velocity vector. The boost kit is based on, but operates independently from Dragon's primary propulsion system. [1] [2] When activated, the system can add about 9 meters per second (20 mph) to the ISS's orbital velocity, equivalent to the total reboost impulse of roughly one-and-a-half Russian Progress cargo vehicles, which are normally responsible for orbit maintenance. The kit carries enough propellant to provide about one-third to one-fourth of the ISS's annual reboost needs. [1] Demonstration reboosts are scheduled to begin in September 2025 and continue periodically through the fall. [2]

Manifest

The spacecraft was loaded with a total of 2,300 kg (5,100 lb) of cargo, including scientific experiments, crew provisions, and fresh food such as 1,500 tortillas. Research equipment aboard the flight supports investigations into 3D printing in microgravity and the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body. [1]

The cargo manifest is broken down as follows: [3]

Return and disposal

The spacecraft is scheduled to remain docked until December 2025, when it will undock and return research samples and cargo to Earth with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California. The pressurized capsule will be recovered for refurbishment and reuse, while the trunk containing the boost kit will be discarded to burn up in the atmosphere. [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Clark, Stephen (August 24, 2025). "SpaceX launches cargo mission with ISS reboost capability". Ars Technica. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Taveau, Jessica (August 24, 2025). "NASA Science, Cargo Launch on 33rd SpaceX Resupply Mission to Station". NASA. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  3. ↑ "NASA's SpaceX 33rd Commercial Resupply Mission Overview". nasa.gov. August 21, 2025. Retrieved August 23, 2025.

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