SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Dragon spacecraft on Friday, April 8, if the weather permits.
The instantaneous launch window will open at 4:43 EST. If the weather would not be favorable, a backup launch window will open at 4:20 EST on Saturday, April 9.
The launch is the eighth Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-8) mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
The Dragon spacecraft, which will be deployed about 10 minutes after liftoff will attach to the International Space Station (ISS) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), about two days after. Among the critical cargo to be delivered to the ISS is a prototype expandable module by Bigelow Aerospace. The module is expected to test technology, which could be useful for future space explorations.
Air Force meteorologists expect that on the day of the launch, the weather would be 90 percent acceptable.
SpaceX is already planning to achieve an experimental landing of the Falcon 9 rocket on a "drone ship" in the Atlantic Ocean.
In December 2015, SpaceX made history when it launched and landed Falcon 9 rocket, which carried 11 Orbcomm communication satellites into orbit. It was the first in history that an orbital rocket has successfully landed back to Earth.
Those who want to watch the launch of CRS-8 via YouTube are advised to log in 20 minutes before launch.
Those interested in the technical webcast, including launch countdown, audio and telemetry information, and rocket views can watch below.
For a full hosted webcast, click play below:
The launch will also go live on the SpaceX website.
