Falcon 9 rocket

It begins on Thursday with the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The Cargo Dragon capsule is carrying dozens of new science experiments to help researchers understand the biological challenges of spaceflight.

The launch marks the first reuse of an improved Falcon 9 "Block 5," which includes several upgrades designed to allow SpaceX to quickly refurbish and re-launch the rocket.

A SpaceX rocket that flew just two months ago with a NASA satellite roared back into action Friday, launching the first orbiting robot with artificial...