How to Watch NASA, SpaceX Launch an ISS-Bound Dragon Cargo Craft
Following more than a month of delays, SpaceX is ready to launch its 25th contracted cargo run to the International Space Station.
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to lift off(Opens in a new window) atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket today at 8:44 p.m. ET from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Live coverage of the event, including a landing attempt by the Falcon 9's first stage on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean, begins at 8:15 p.m. ET on NASA TV.
You can watch the launch live below:
The month-long mission, previously scheduled to launch on June 10, was postponed due to a leak(Opens in a new window) in the Dragon's propulsion system, which caused elevated vapor readings of mono-methyl hydrazine (MMH).
NASA replaced the faulty part—identified as a Draco thruster valve inlet joint and conducted additional inspections. The launch was inevitably pushed back to June 28, then again to July 11, and finally to July 14(Opens in a new window). Mission managers on Wednesday got the green light to begin counting down to liftoff.
This marks the third ISS trip for SpaceX's Dragon capsule. It will be carrying 5,800 pounds of science experiments and crew supplies, including the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) to monitor climate change.
If all goes to plan, the spacecraft will orbit Earth for a day and a half before docking to the Harmony module's forward port at 11:20 a.m. ET on Saturday. This mission forms part of SpaceX's Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract with NASA.
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