Monday, April 2, 2018

SpaceX Targeting Yet Another Launch, Today, To ISS

Hawthorne-based SpaceX, fresh off a successful satellite deployment mission on Friday morning, is launching another mission this morning from Cape Canaveral. SpaceX said it is targeting a launch at 4:30 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station this afternoon, Monday, April 2nd, where it will launch about 5,800 pounds of supplies, payloads, and vehicle hardware to the international Space Station (ISS). The mission is the fourteenth of up to 20 missions contracted with NASA for commercial resupply of the ISS. SpaceX said this mission's Falcon 9, as well as Dragon capsule, were both previously flown. If today's launch is skipped, the next launch opportunity is tomorrow, Tuesday, April 3rd, at 4:08 p.m. EDT. SpaceX said it will not attempt to recover the fist stage of the Falcon 9 after launch. SpaceX's last launch--on Good Friday--was out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, and was briefly visible from the Los Angeles area.