SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launching NASA Research and Technology to ISS

The latest SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch is set to take place on Thursday, March 23rd, carrying new research and technology demonstrations for NASA’s 30th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. This mission will see the Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft delivering over 6,000 pounds of cargo, including new science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the orbiting laboratory.

One of the key research studies onboard this mission includes an investigation into plant metabolism in space, as well as new sensors for free-flying Astrobee robots to provide 3D mapping capabilities. There is also a fluid physics study that could potentially benefit solar cell technology, and a project from the Canadian Space Agency to monitor sea ice and ocean conditions.

The launch is scheduled for 4:55 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with a 90% chance of favorable weather conditions predicted by the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron. Live coverage of the launch will be available on NASA TV, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

In addition to the SpaceX launch, there was an update regarding the crewed Soyuz spacecraft launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch was automatically scrubbed on March 21st due to a low voltage reading in the Soyuz rocket electrical system. The next available launch opportunity is now scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd pending completion of State Commission review for the Roscosmos launch.

For more updates on space station activities and the latest from NASA, you can follow the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and Instagram accounts. Stay tuned for more information on these exciting space missions and the groundbreaking research being conducted aboard the International Space Station.