So, yeah, it’s totally not like I’ve been busy with holiday stuffs and slacking on the rocket-ish things… Anyway, as of now there’s only a 40% chance that weather will allow it, with moderate risk of upper-level winds and high risk of bad recovery weather, but if the Fates are kind, SpaceX will be launching their Cargo Dragon to the ISS on its CRS-21 mission on a Falcon 9 from pad LC-39A on Saturday, December 5th at 11:39 a.m. local time (GMT-5).
12/3 ETA: Improving weather outlooks might? increase the PGO from 40% to a better number? Keep an ear to the wind with this one; don’t make any non-refundable travel plans just yet.
Since this booster will land on the drone ship and thus not viewable from land, you’ll probably want to view the launch from a northern location. Playalinda should be available – although as always, there is a chance they will close the roads to inbound traffic 3 hours prior to launch, or if the parking lots fill up, or if NASA determines that there is a safety or security risk, so consider Parrish Park or the parks & open lots along U.S. 1 in Titusville as a backup plan. Also as always, bring plenty of supplies to Playalinda when you go – water, sunscreen, bug spray, and on this occasion an umbrella might be useful? and make sure to have gas in the car, cuz it’s a loooooong walk back if you run out.
Backup date for this launch is Sunday, 12/6, a few minutes earlier, and the go-chance jumps to 80% if there’s a rain delay; everything else remains pretty much the same. The booster – whenever the launch happens, and assuming it lands safely – will be returning to Port Canaveral at some point following the launch; we’ll have details here, assuming I remember to post them, which often doesn’t happen so just follow the links in the sidebar and check with those folks for updates.
The CRS launches (for those who’re new to this) are part of SpaceX’s Commercial Resupply Service contract with NASA, wherein they deliver essential supplies and science materials to the International Space Station. This is the first launch in SpaceX’s second CRS contract, and also the first launch of Version 2 of their Cargo Dragon capsule, which will – in another first – eventually return to Earth to splash down in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Florida, instead of over on the West Coast as they’ve done in the past. Also also, this is apparently the beginning – alas! – of CRS missions having drone ship landings, instead of the LZ-1 landings we’ve become accustomed to, a fact which makes Launch Rats sad, as we do so love our sonic booms. Here’s hoping for a change in this trend in the future.
Anyway, stay tuned to Space Twitter for more news on the weather situation and whether this launch will go on schedule or not. and have fun eating that leftover turkey, putting up decorations and vacuuming up shiny stuff. Cheers.