SpaceX set to launch supplies to space station

Falcon 9 rocket sending Dragon cargo spacecraft to space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – March is a busy month for rockets launching from the Space Coast.

It all starts Friday night with SpaceX sending its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.

These are the things to know for the launch:

• Teams are looking to launch at 11:50 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40. The launch window is instantaneous, meaning the rocket must launch at that time or be forced to delay another day.

• Weather forecast is 60% “go,” with the primary concern being liftoff winds, according to the 45th Weather Squadron.

• In the event of a delay or scrub, weather improves to 90% “go” for a Saturday launch.

• The rocket’s first stage booster will target an automatic landing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Landing Station about eight minutes after liftoff.

• This will be the second time SpaceX flies this booster. It had previously flown for the company's 19th resupply mission to the ISS.

• This will also be the third flight of the Dragon 1 capsule, having previously flown for the company’s 10th and 16th resupply missions to the space station, according to SpaceX.

• Onboard the spacecraft are over 5,600 pounds of supplies and payloads, including materials to supports dozens of the more than 250 science investigations occurring on the space station.

• After this mission, SpaceX will retire the Dragon 1 capsule as it makes way to introduce its newer, more advanced spacecraft: Dragon 2. The newer spacecraft is capable of flying to space up to five times, whereas Dragon 1 was only certified to re-fly up to three times.


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