American aerospace manufacturer and space transport Services Company SpaceX is all set to launch its 13th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA on Friday for the company’s 13th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station.
SpaceX is taking additional time for the team to conduct full inspections and cleanings due to detection of particles in the second stage fuel system. The next launch opportunity would be no earlier than late December.
The mission will carry investigation that can help lower the risk to human life and critical hardware by dangerous orbital particles, NASA said. It will also deliver crew supplies, equipment, and other scientific research to crew members living and working aboard the station. Carrying about 4,800 pounds of cargo including critical science and research equipment, the Dragon spacecraft will spend a month attached to the space station.
Meteorologists with the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing are predicting an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for liftoff on Friday. A Dragon spacecraft will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Dragon is now scheduled to arrive at the space station on Sunday, Dec. 17.
On Sunday, Scott Tingle of NASA, Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are also scheduled to launch at 2:21 a.m. (1:21 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.
It may be noted that, in 2015, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded a few minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. Then in September Falcon 9 blew up in September 2016 while it was being fueled for engine test fired. However after this two failure Space X is now all set to launch the Falcon 9 rocket.
