SpaceX Sends 5,700 Pounds of Supplies to Space on its Dragon Rocket

SpaceX CRS-19, it's Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station as part of a contract with NASA, launched earlier Thursday, a day after it was originally scheduled to take-off but was delayed due to high winds.  

SpaceX's Dragon rocket, which launched at 12:30 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Flordia and was filled with about 5,700 pounds of supplies and payloads.

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Supplies needed for more than 250 experiments in space

It included materials needed to support 250 or more science and research experiments that take place in the space lab. It will also carry Japan's Hyperspectral Image Suite, a next-generation hyperspectral Earth-imaging system, NASA said. 

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/4w7OTmnay1

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 5, 2019

About thirty minutes later SpaceX confirmed the main engine cutoff and stage separation was complete. A few minutes later the first stage entry burn was completed and the second stage in which Dragon is propelled into orbit to hook up with the International Space Station commenced. 

First stage entry burn complete; second stage propelling Dragon into its orbit to meet up with the @Space_Station

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 5, 2019

 By 12:43 p.m. Dragon's solar arrays had deployed and was on its way to the International Space Station. 

Dragon’s solar arrays have deployed, and it’s on its way to the International Space Station. Capture by the @Space_Station crew set for early Sunday pic.twitter.com/M0YOQENlKE

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 5, 2019

SpaceX fans can view the entire launch here. 

CRS-19 the 19th supply mission for SpaceX

CRS-19 is the 19th of 20 missions SpaceX was contracted by NASA to fly. The contract was announced in January 2016. SpaceX has landed a second contract in which its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft were chosen to resupply the space station through 2024. 

After a roughly four-week stay in space, Dragon will return to earth hauling more than 3,800 pounds of cargo.

SpaceX said that around five hours after leaving the International Space Station the spacecraft will engage in a deorbit burn that can last as long as ten minutes. SpaceX said it takes around 30 minutes for Dragon to reenter Earth's atmosphere, landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja, California.