The fourth SpaceX cargo mission to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch Saturday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is targeted for an instantaneous window at 2:14 a.m. EDT. Live countdown coverage begins at 1 a.m. on NASA Television and NASA’s Launch Blog.
Weather forecasters are predicting a 50 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time, with possible thick clouds and rain showers as primary concerns.
The Dragon spacecraft’s 2.5 tons of supplies, science experiments, and technology demonstrations includes critical materials to support 255 science and research investigations that will occur during the station’s Expeditions 41 and 42.
“This flight shows the breadth of ISS as a research platform, and we’re seeing the maturity of ISS for that,” NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan said during a prelaunch news conference at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
What is the trajectory of the launch? Will it be visible from the east coast?
What is the trajectory of the launch? Will it be visible from the east coast at all?