SpaceX launched the latest resupply mission for the International Space Station this evening from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff was at 9:29 PM EDT into skies that cleared just in time for the launch.
Around eight minutes and a half minutes after launching roughly ten miles away, Falcon 9 Booster B1083 completed its fifth mission successfully when it touched down at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This marked the 46th landing at LZ-1 and the 365th Falcon booster landing all-time.
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifting off from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center to start the CRS-2 SpX-31 mission. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
At roughly the same time, the second stage of Falcon 9 achieved orbit and at 9:48 PM the Cargo Dragon was released to continue under its own power towards ISS. A successful nose-cone deployment marked the end of the launch phase of the CRS-2 SpX-31 mission.
SpaceX noted on X.com after the launch that this mission was their 400th successful Falcon launch.
Cargo Dragon will now continue towards the International Space Station, where it is expected to dock autonomously to the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module at 10:15 AMtomorrow (Tuesday, November 5).
Launch Replay
By The Numbers
109th SpaceX launch this year
19th launch from LC-39A this year
37th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch
186th orbital launch attempt from LC-39A, all-time
245th launch from KSC, all-time
Falcon 9’s first stage put on a display in the Florida skies while the second stage (bottom) continued towards orbit. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Next Launch
SpaceX is scheduled to launch Starlink 6-77 and another set of Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 tomorrow afternoon from Space Launch Complex 40. This is the second attempt to launch this mission — the first attempt was scrubbed with less than three minutes to go in the countdown due to a helium issue.
Date: NET November 5, 2024
Organization: SpaceX / NASA
Mission: Starlink 6-77
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral
Launch Window: 3:39 – 7:39 PM EST
Payload: Starlink satellites
Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed anytime due to weather, technical reasons, or range conditions.
SpaceX and NASA are planning to launch out a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station this evening aboard a Falcon 9. Launch is scheduled for 9:29 PM EST from Pad LC-39A, in an instantaneous window. The booster used for the mission will return to Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, several miles south of the launch site. As such, the Space Coast can expect a sonic boom to reverberate across the area at around 9:37 PM.
Booster B1083 will make its fourth flight this evening, and Cargo Dragon C208, will make its fifth flight on this mission. B0183 was first flown for the Crew 8 mission in March of this year.
Cargo Dragon is expected to arrive Tuesday morning after a fast trip to ISS, and will dock at the Station’s Harmony mode.
At A Glance
Mission: NASA SpX CRS-31
Date: NET November 4, 2024
Launch Window: 9:29 PM EDT*
Weather: 70% GO
Organization: SpaceX
Rocket: Falcon 9
Trajectory: Northeast
Launch Site: LC39A, Kennedy Space Center
Booster Landing: Landing Zone 1, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
A previous Falcon 9 mission poised to visit ISS on LC-39A earlier this year. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Payload
According to NASA, the payload for tonight’s mission includes:
Crew supplies: 961 kg (2,119 lb)
Science investigations: 917 kg (2,022 lb)
Spacewalk equipment: 171 kg (377 lb)
Vehicle hardware: 238 kg (525 lb)
Computer resources: 20 kg (44 lb)
NASA also says, “In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Dragon will deliver several new experiments, including the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment, to examine solar wind and how it forms. Dragon also delivers Antarctic moss to observe the combined effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity on plants. Other investigations aboard include a device to test cold welding of metals in microgravity, and an investigation that studies how space impacts different materials.”
Weather
The 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force Launch Delta 45 has forecast a 30% probability of violating acceptable weather conditions through the launch window, meaning that they expect conditions to be 70% GO.
Primary concerns are winds, cumulus clouds and flight through precipitation in the Cape Canaveral/KSC area.
With a one-in-five chance of showers and breezes at or near the limit prescribed in the launch rules for this flight, it may well come down to the last few minutes before T-0 before a final decision on weather can be made.
Trajectory
The trajectory for tonight’s flight is northeastwards, which is typical for all ISS-bound missions that are launched from the Eastern Range.
Online Viewing
Live launch coverage will begin at 9:10 p.m. on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.
Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
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