Just a few hours from now, in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday Jan 10, SpaceX will launch their sixth mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Online viewers can watch live the SpaceX rocket launch of the Falcon 9 as it carries the Dragon spacecraft aloft to dock with the ISS.
This will be the fifth official resupply mission to the ISS by SpaceX, who’s first flight of Dragon to dock with the station was a test mission with no cargo. Today’s mission is dubbed Commercial Resupply mission 5 (CRS-5).
Watch the SpaceX live online video stream of Falcon 9 & Dragon launch
Today’s SpaceX launch is currently targeted for 4:47am EST. The company’s web site will begin the live launch webcast at approximately 4:30am EST.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft will leave the earth this morning from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Following a successful launch and flight to orbit, the Dragon spacecraft should arrive at the ISS approximately two days later.
After unloading its cargo, and taking on any return supplies and experiments from the station, Dragon will return to Earth after roughly four-and-a-half weeks in space. The parachute-assisted splashdown of the spacecraft should occur off the coast of southern California.