WATCH LIVE: SpaceX Cargo Mission Launch Set Today

By Space Coast Daily // April 18, 2014

Watch the live stream beginning at 2:15 p.m.

WATCH LIVE: Tune into SpaceCoastDaily.com to watch the next launch attempt for the Falcon 9 rocket to send the Dragon cargo craft on the company’s third commercial resupply mission to the space station. The launch is scheduled for 3:25 p.m., with coverage beginning at 2:15 p.m.

NASA.gov – The International Space Station Program and SpaceX have selected Friday, April 18 for the next launch attempt for the Falcon 9 rocket to send the Dragon cargo craft on the company’s third commercial resupply mission to the space station.

Launch is scheduled today for 3:25 p.m. EDT. Space CoastDaily.com live coverage will begin at 2:15 p.m. via NASA TV.

A launch today results in a rendezvous with the space station on Sunday, April 20 and a grapple at 7:14 a.m. Live coverage on SpaceCoastDaily.com will begin at 5:45 a.m. with berthing coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron forecast predicts a 40 percent chance of favorable weather, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms that could result in violating the Thick Cloud, Lightning and Flight Through Precipitation rules.

SpaceX has settled on a backup launch date of Saturday, April 19 for the best pair of launch dates for the science payloads being delivered to the station. If needed, a Saturday launch would occur at 3:02 p.m. SpaceCoastDaily.com coverage would begin at 2 p.m.

This would be a three-day transit to the station instead of two days with grapple on Tuesday, April 22.

For the backup opportunity on Saturday, there is a 70 percent chance of favorable weather with a chance of violating the Cumulus Cloud and Ground Winds rules.

If SpaceX launches today, a contingency spacewalk to replace a failed multiplexer-demultiplexer will be conducted on Wednesday, April 23. If SpaceX scrubs today and attempts to launch Saturday, the contingency spacewalk moves earlier to Sunday, April 20.