Air Force: Weather good for SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral and landing

Despite chilly weather settling over the Space Coast this weekend, the outlook for Tuesday's SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral is mostly favorable, according to Air Force forecasters.

Conditions are expected to be 80 percent "go" for the 11:46 a.m. mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 40 with a Dragon spacecraft destined for the International Space Station. Forecasters noted a possible violation of the liftoff winds rule as the only concern.

"A front passed through Central Florida overnight and temperatures behind this front will plummet into the 40s Monday morning," forecasters said. "On Tuesday, a mid-level trough will sweep down over Central Florida and winds will again climb after noon."

[SpaceX launch rate expected to increase after Cape Canaveral launch]

[Cape Canaveral pad online as SpaceX fires rocket; Zuma scheduled for 2018]

The "flight proven" rocket, previously launched in June 2017, is expected to descend to Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1 about 8 minutes after liftoff. The Dragon spacecraft packed with supplies is being reused, too – it flew on a 2015 resupply mission.

The launch – SpaceX's 13th under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract – will take thousand of pounds of supplies, cargo and science experiments to the crew of the ISS before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at a later date.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook at @EmreKelly.

Launch Tuesday

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Mission: ISS resupply for NASA

Launch Time: 11:46 a.m.

Launch Window: Instantaneous

Launch Complex: 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Weather: 80 percent "go"

Join FloridaToday.com/Space at 10 a.m. Tuesday for countdown chat and updates, including streaming of NASA's launch webcast.