SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon set to undock from ISS tomorrow: Here's how you can watch it live

The spacecraft will bring home thousands of pounds of hardware and important scientific samples.
A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft arrives for a NASA CRS mission to the ISS. (Representative Cover Image Source: NASA)
A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft arrives for a NASA CRS mission to the ISS. (Representative Cover Image Source: NASA)

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is set to depart from the International Space Station tomorrow, June 16. Live coverage of the undocking will begin at 11:45 a.m. EDT on NASA+, Amazon Prime, besides the agency's YouTube channel and social media handles.



Dragon will undock from the forward-facing port of the Harmony module at 12:05 p.m. after receiving instructions from its controllers at SpaceX. The spacecraft will then gradually move away from the ISS with the aid of its thrusters. The following day, the capsule will experience a fiery re-entry before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the Californian coast at around 8:08 a.m. A live video broadcast of this particular stage of the return will not be available on the aforementioned platforms, although one can follow the NASA blog for updates.

SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon cargo spacecraft fires its Draco engines for ISS rendezvous. (Representative Image Source: NASA)
SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon cargo spacecraft fires its Draco engines for ISS rendezvous. (Image Source: NASA)

Of course, Dragon will not be returning to Earth empty-handed. The payload, weighing thousands of pounds, will include scientific samples that could inform future space exploration missions, besides improving life on Earth. Biomedical experiments being brought back include bioprinted organ and cartilage tissue, as well as what has been called "DNA‑inspired materials." The latter will aid in the development of new cancer treatments. The returning hardware, meanwhile, includes an absorbent bed used for the filtration of trace contaminants from cabin air, a separator pump, and an eye-imaging device. The spacecraft will also be bringing back data on improving cryogenic fuel storage that will help in the advancement of space exploration capabilities.

ISS on May 17, 2026. SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon, the SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL, Soyuz MS-28, and the Progress 94 and 95. (Image Source: NASA)
ISS configuration on May 17, 2026, featuring CRS-34 Crew Dragon. (Image Source: NASA)

The Dragon capsule in question launched on top of the standard Falcon 9 rocket on May 15 for the 34th SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-34) mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Loaded with around 6,500 pounds of cargo, it docked with the ISS two days later on May 17. CRS-34 marked the sixth flight of the spacecraft, which had previously flown on CRS-22, CRS-24, CRS-27, CRS-30, and CRS-32.

More on Starlust

Russian cargo spacecraft Progress 95 arrives at ISS with 3 tons of food, fuel and supplies

Blue Origin vs. SpaceX: How their landers fit into Artemis III

MORE STORIES

NASA has selected SpaceX to provide a fast data relay technology for the Artemis III mission.
1 day ago
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that the next launch attempt could take place early next week.
1 day ago
The servicing spacecraft experienced issues with its attitude control and communications but is now healthy.
2 days ago
If projections hold, scientists could do experiments in microgravity as easily as they do on Earth.
2 days ago
Besides revealing the mission requirements from its industry partners for Artemis III, NASA also lifted the curtain on operations that will become standard across the Artemis program.
2 days ago
July 16 this year marks the 57th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 mission, which saw two men walk on the Moon.
2 days ago
Satellites that are retired in orbit have to undergo passivation, a process that reduces the chances of them exploding.
2 days ago
“It’s been a dream for aerospace medicine to have more than one imaging modality for diagnosing illnesses and injuries in space.”
3 days ago
Some key stages remain before BepiColombo's instruments sit in Mercury's orbit.
3 days ago
The newly arrived Soyuz MS-29 crew will spend approximately eight months on the International Space Station.
3 days ago