A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is in place at Space Launch Complex 40 on Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where final prelaunch preps are under way for liftoff at 4:43 p.m. today. Atop the Falcon 9 is a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft loaded with cargo destined for the International Space Station. The SpaceX CRS-8 mission is the company’s eighth cargo flight to the orbiting laboratory under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract.
The weather forecast has held steady with a 90 percent chance of favorable conditions predicted for launch time. Meteorologists with the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron cite liftoff winds as the primary weather concern.
Live countdown coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT. In the meantime, check out SpaceX’s newly released CRS-8 press kit, available here.