spacex falcon 9 launch

Caption: “Falcon 9 and Dragon are vertical ahead of today’s resupply mission to the
@Space_Station
. Launch is targeted for 12:51 p.m. EST”. / Image via Twitter: @SpaceX

SpaceX Falcon 9 to transport ‘mighty mice’ and ‘space beer’ to ISS [live stream]

SpaceX and NASA will use the Falcon 9 rocket to send thousands of kilograms of crew supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).

spacex falcon 9 launch

Caption: “Falcon 9 and Dragon are vertical ahead of today’s resupply mission to the
@Space_Station
. Launch is targeted for 12:51 p.m. EST”. / Image via Twitter: @SpaceX

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will today (4 December 2019) carry thousands of kilograms of scientific equipment and NASA crew supplies – including ‘mighty mice’ – to the International Space Station (ISS).

When will SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launch take place?

SpaceX confirmed on Twitter that its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon CRS-19 “are vertical ahead of today’s resupply mission to the [International Space Station.” The launch is targeted for 12:51 EST, or 19:51 South African Standard Time.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon CRS-19 cargo resupply unit will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It will be the Dragon’s was previously used in the fourth and eleventh commercial resupply missions.

Falcon 9 rocket launch spacex
Caption: “The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew in support of our fourth and eleventh commercial resupply missions” / Image via Twitter: @SpaceX

SpaceX conducted a static fire test on 27 November in preparation for the launch. According to NASA, the tests help validate the launch escape system for the in-flight abort demonstration”. NASA said in a statement:

“In April, during a similar set of engine tests, the spacecraft experienced an anomaly which led to an explosion and loss of the vehicle. Based on that investigation’s findings and months of testing, SpaceX redesigned components of the system to eliminate the possibility of slugs entering the high-flow pressurization system.”

What will SpaceX’s Crew Dragon be taking to the ISS?

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will be carrying approximately 2 585 kilograms of crew supplies. About 998 kilograms will be dedicated to 38 scientific experiments being conducted on the International Space Station.

Some of the more interesting supplies include ‘space beer’. Scientists on board the ISS will study how barley responds to micro-gravity. This work could affect how scientists produce food on Earth and in space, NASA said during a teleconference.

Falcon 9 rocket launch spacex nasa iss
Caption: “The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew in support of our fourth and eleventh commercial resupply missions” / Image via Twitter: @SpaceX

 Scientists are also sending ‘mighty mice’ to the ISS, as part of the Rodent Research 19, or RR-19, experiment. Space.com explains:

“This investigation will help researchers better understand how to prevent muscle and bone loss for people with debilitating medical conditions. The ‘mighty mice’ that will be flown to the station to be studied have been genetically engineered to lack ‘myostatin’; a protein that inhibits muscle cell growth and therefore causes the animals to be extremely muscular.”

Falcon 9 rocket: Stats for nerds

The two-stage-to-orbit rocket has a mass of 541 300 kilograms. It can carry up to 22 800 kilograms of cargo in low Earth orbit; or up to 8 300 kilograms in geostationary transfer orbit.

Furthermore, the Falcon 9’s first stage has nine Merlin engines with a burn time of 162 seconds. In addition, the second stage has only one engine which ignites after stage separation. It also has a burn time of 397 seconds.

Back in June, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched its most expensive payload to date. The ISS team uses the RADARSAT Constellation Mission to observe Earth from space.

It furthermore consists of three identical C-Band Aperture Radar (SAR) Earth observation satellites.

Watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 mission live stream:

The stream will go live at 19:51.