Thursday, July 14, 2016

SpaceX To Launch Cargo For NASA On Monday

The next launch for Hawthorne-based SpaceX is planned for Monday, in what NASA says will be the ninth Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. According to NASA, SpaceX will be launchign its Dragon spacecraft with materials for the orbiting laboratory and crew, including a giant, metallic ring. The ring is designed to help connect the ISS to other spacecraft, as they deliver astronauts to the station in the future. NASA and SpaceX said they are targeting a launch at 12:44 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 18th from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA said the Falcon 9 will be loaded with around 3,800 pounds of materials, with supplies for around 250 research projects planned for the next two expeditions. SpaceX has typically launched the Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral, although launch manifests suggest it may launch a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in September.