SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch from Cape Canaveral on a resupply mission to the International Space Station tomorrow morning, March 1st, at 10:10 am. Weather forecasts remain favorable, with an 80% chance of good weather. Temperatures are expected to be just below 60 degrees, with winds near 10 mph.
The resupply mission is the second of twelve SpaceX contracted with NASA. The Falcon 9 rocket's capsule, also known as Dragon, will deliver over 1,200 pounds of crew supplies, station hardware, and science cargo to the ISS. Docking is expected to occur early Saturday morning.
The Dragon space craft will remain docked for over three weeks as the ISS crew unloads supplies and fills the vehicle with items to be returned to earth. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, Dragon is the only active space craft that can return large payloads to earth.
On March 25, it will splashdown in the Pacific Ocean with over 2,000 pounds of science experiments and unneeded materials.
Floridians will find the launch harder to watch than some other rockets. Due to the type of rocket fuel being used, the exhaust plume is smaller and more transparent. However, with clear skies expected, it's still fun to watch. Tune in at NASA TV to watch live coverage starting at 8:30 am EST.
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