The Canadarm2 robotic arm prepares to release the SpaceX Dragon Commercial Resupply Services-6 cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than Dec. 15 for the company’s 13th cargo mission to the space station, using the refurbished Dragon capsule from the CRS-6 mission. Credits: NASA

NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX now is targeting no earlier than 10:36 a.m. EST Friday, Dec. 15, for its 13th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The launch and post-launch news conference will air on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Packed with almost 4,800 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Launch coverage will begin at 10 a.m., followed at noon by a post-launch news conference with representatives from NASA’s International Space Station Program and SpaceX.

About 10 minutes after launch, Dragon will reach its preliminary orbit and deploy its solar arrays. A carefully choreographed series of thruster firings will bring the spacecraft to rendezvous with the space station Sunday, Dec. 17. NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba will capture Dragon using the space station’s robotic arm. Ground controllers then will send commands to robotically install the spacecraft on the station’s Harmony module.

The Dragon spacecraft will spend approximately one month attached to the space station, returning to Earth in mid-January with results of previous experiments.

The deadline for media to apply for accreditation for this launch has passed, but more information about media accreditation is available by contacting Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598 or jennifer.p.horner@nasa.gov.

Also on Sunday, Scott Tingle of NASA, Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station at 2:21 a.m. (1:21 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

NASA TV coverage for Dragon arrival and crew launch Sunday is as follows:

• 1:15 a.m. – Launch coverage begins
• 4:30 a.m. – Dragon rendezvous at the space station and capture coverage
• 7:30 a.m. – Installation coverage

For the latest schedule of prelaunch briefings, events and NASA TV coverage, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/content/spacex-crs-13-briefings-and-events

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Press Contacts

Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
amanda.griffin@nasa.gov

Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

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