Forecast: 90 Percent ‘Go’

Weather forecasters from the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90 percent chance of favorable weather at the scheduled time for launch of SpaceX CRS-9. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft is targeted for 12:45 a.m. EDT Monday, July 18, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This is the company’s ninth scheduled cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station under the agency’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. If the launch does not occur Monday, July 18, the next launch opportunity is 12 a.m. Wednesday, July 20, with NASA TV coverage starting at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, July 19.

Our continuous countdown and launch coverage on the Launch Blog and on NASA Television will begin at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 17. A Monday launch will result in the Dragon arriving at the space station Wednesday, July 20. NASA astronaut Jeff Williams will use the station’s 57.7-foot robotic arm to reach out and capture the Dragon spacecraft as he operates from the station’s cupola. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins will serve as the backup. Ground commands will be sent from Houston for the station’s arm to install Dragon on the Earth-facing side of the station’s Harmony module. By the next day, the crew will pressurize the vestibule between the station and Dragon, and then open the hatch that leads to the forward bulkhead of Dragon. Live coverage of the rendezvous and capture July 20 will begin at 5:30 a.m. on NASA TV, with installation coverage set to begin at 9:45 a.m.

SpaceX CRS-9 is scheduled to deliver nearly 5,000 pounds of supplies and payloads to the station, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 48 and 49.

In addition to launch coverage, NASA TV will air a prelaunch news conference at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 16, and a “What’s On Board” science briefing at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 17. A post-launch briefing will be held at about 2 a.m. Monday. All briefings will air live on NASA TV and via streaming video on the agency’s website.