- NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the Commercial Resupply Services 24 (CRS-24) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) early Tuesday morning aboard a SpaceX Cargo Dragon 2 vehicle. Liftoff is currently scheduled for 5:06 AM EST (10:06 UTC) on Tuesday, December 21, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Following launch and separation, the Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft will dock to the IDA-3 zenith (upward-facing) docking port located on the Harmony module the following day, on December 22.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 30% chance of acceptable weather at the time of liftoff. The primary weather concerns at liftoff are the cumulus cloud, thick cloud layer, and surface electric field rules. If a scrub occurs, a backup launch opportunity is available Wednesday, December 22, at 4:43 AM EST (09:43 UTC) with a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions.
The launch of CRS-24 will mark the final launch of 2021 from Cape Canaveral. This would make a total of 31 launches conducted from the Cape in 2021, 28 of which were performed by SpaceX. Additionally, this launch will bring SpaceX’s total number of launches in 2021 to 31, a new record for the company.
Source: NASA, SpaceX set to launch CRS-24 to the International Space Station – NASASpaceFlight.com
