A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 4:30 p.m. EDT, carrying the SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft on the company's 14th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Credits: NASA/Tony Gray, Tim Powers, Tim Terry

NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX is targeting 7:25 p.m. EDT Sunday, July 21, for the launch of its next resupply mission to the International Space Station.

This is the 18th SpaceX mission under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. The Dragon spacecraft will deliver supplies including critical materials to support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 59 and 60. The spacecraft’s unpressurized trunk will transport NASA’s International Docking Adapter-3 (IDA-3).

The spacecraft will take two days to reach the space station before installation on Tuesday, July 23. When it arrives to the space station, NASA astronauts Nick Hague will grapple Dragon with Christina Koch acting as a backup. NASA’s Andrew Morgan will assist the duo by monitoring telemetry during Dragon’s approach. The station crew will monitor Dragon vehicle functions during rendezvous. After Dragon capture, ground commands will be sent from mission control in Houston for the station’s arm to rotate and install it on the bottom of the station’s Harmony module.

Full mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Sunday, July 21

Press Site Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Badging Hours of Operation: 7 – 8:30 a.m.; 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Foreign National Pickup Times: 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

News Media Schedule

• 9 a.m.            Prelaunch news conference with representatives from NASA’s International Space Station Program, SpaceX, and the U.S. Air Force’s 45th Space Wing.
• Noon              NASA Social What’s on Board Briefing
• 1:45 p.m.       K-9 Inspection
• 2 p.m.            Depart for Space Launch Complex 40
• 2:15 – 3 p.m. Remote Camera Set-up at SLC 40
• 5:15 p.m.       Satellite Trucks depart for NASA Causeway
• 5:30 p.m.       Wire Van departs for NASA Causeway
• 5:45 p.m.       Bus departs for NASA Causeway           
• 6:15 p.m.       K-9 Inspection for VAB Roof
• 6:25 p.m.       Wire Van leaves for VAB Roof
• 6:35 p.m.       Bus leaves for VAB Roof
• 7:35 p.m.       Launch

Media who would like to call in for the prelaunch news conference or the NASA Social What’s on Board Briefing should phone the NASA News Center at 321-867-2468.

Launch Viewing 

Media may view the CRS-18 launch from the Kennedy Press Site, NASA Causeway or the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) roof (space is limited). Media who wish to view the launch from the NASA Causeway or the VAB roof should meet at the Kennedy Press Site at 4:30 p.m. to be escorted. Media must RSVP with their preference for the NASA Causeway or the VAB roof by noon on Wednesday, July 17, to ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Only one representative per organization may sign up for the VAB roof.

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 7 p.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," the launch conductor’s countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.

NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage

Prelaunch and launch coverage of the SpaceX CRS-18 flight will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning at 7 p.m. as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the newsroom at 321-867-2468. You can follow countdown coverage on our launch blog at http://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex.

Learn more about the SpaceX CRS-18 mission by going to the mission home page at:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacex

-end-

Press Contacts

Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Mary Maclaughlin
Kennedy Space Center, FL
321-867-2468
mary.maclaughlin@nasa.gov

NASA Kennedy Space Center news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an e-mail message with the subject line subscribe to ksc-request@newsletters.nasa.gov.

To unsubscribe, send an e-mail message with the subject line unsubscribe to ksc-request@newsletters.nasa.gov.