The sixth SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch on Monday, April 13, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Coverage of the launch will begin at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
The Falcon 9 rocket will lift off at 4:33 p.m. EDT. Dragon will be filled with more than 4,300 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support about 40 of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during the space station's Expeditions 43 and 44, according to a press release from NASA.
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
There will be panel discussions on Sunday, April 12 at 1:30 p.m. EDT and 3:30 p.m EDT (times are subject to change). Scientists and researchers will discuss the onboard science and research studies. The series of briefings will conclude with a pre-launch news conference at 5 p.m. EDT. A post-launch briefing will be held approximately 90 minutes after liftoff Monday.
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the space station on Wednesday, April 15. Expedition 43 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) will use the station's 57.7-foot robotic arm to reach out and capture Dragon at approximately 7 a.m. EDT. NASA astronaut Terry Virts will support Cristoforetti from the station's cupola. Live stream coverage of the grapple will begin at 5 a.m. EDT. Coverage of Dragon's installation to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module will begin at 9:15 a.m. EDT.
Science investigations launching on Dragon include commercial and academic payloads in various disciplines, exploring new ways to possibly counteract the microgravity-induced cell damage seen during spaceflight, studying the effects of microgravity on the most common cells in bones, gathering new insight that could lead to treatments for osteoporosis and muscle wasting conditions, continuing studies into astronaut vision changes, and testing a new material that could one day be used as a synthetic muscle for robotic explorers of the future.
After about five weeks at the space station, Dragon will return to Earth filled with more than 3,000 pounds of cargo including crew supplies, hardware and computer resources, science experiments, and space station hardware.
If the launch doesn't happen on Monday, the next launch opportunity would be at approximately 4:10 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 14.
