SpaceX Dragon Poised for Lunchtime Liftoff on Resupply Mission for NASA to Space Station: Photos

SpaceX Dragon Poised for Lunchtime Liftoff on Resupply Mission for NASA to Space Station
UpClose prelaunch view of SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida prior to launch slated for Dec. 4, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER/CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – The SpaceX Dragon is poised for liftoff this morning Wednesday, Dec 4 under beautiful sunny Florida Space Coast skies.

Note: Launch scrubbed to Dec 5 12:29 PM ET due to excessive upper altitude winds

SpaceX and NASA are now targeting liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket launch with the unpiloted and recycled Dragon CRS-19 cargo ship from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 12:51 p.m. EST (1751 GMT) – that coincides with approximately the moment that Earth’s rotation brings Cape Canaveral under the orbital plane of International Space Station.

SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida poised for launch slated for Dec. 4, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Enjoy my photos around pad 40 during this morning remote camera setup.

The SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 window is ‘instantaneous’ meaning any delay for weather or technical reasons forces a minimum 1 day scrub. \The CRS-19 launch will be the 12th of the year for SpaceX.

SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida poised for launch slated for Dec. 4, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

SpaceX will attempt to recover and soft land the Falcon 9 first stage on the ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ (OCISLY) droneship about 8 minutes after liftoff.

UpClose prelaunch view of landing legs SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida prior to launch slated for Dec. 4, 2019. Reset to Dec. 5. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The droneship is already at sea.

UpClose prelaunch view of landing legs SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida prior to launch slated for Dec. 4, 2019. Reset to Dec 5. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Dragon CRS-19 marks SpaceX’s 19th contracted cargo mission to the space station under the original commercial resupply services (CRS) contract with NASA.

Behind lightning tower a SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida poised for launch retarget for Dec. 5, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Full story to follow.

Check out our eyewitness articles and photos.

UpClose prelaunch view of SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida prior to launch slated for Dec. 4, 2019. Retargeted to Dec 5. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Watch my CBS News 6 Orlando TV News interview on Nov. 13 with my commentary about the SpaceX abort thruster test firing:
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2019/11/13/spacex-fires-crew-dragon-engines-ahead-of-abort-test/

 

SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida poised for launch slated for Dec. 4, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Watch Ken’s continuing reports onsite for live reporting of the SpaceX CRS-19 mission at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events

Ken’s upcoming outreach events:

Dec 4/14/16: 7 PM, Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL. “SpaceX CRS-19 Launch to ISS Dec 4.” Free. In hotel lobby. Photos for sale

 

 

 

Remote cameras aimed at SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida poised for launch retargeted for Dec. 5, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Remote cameras aimed at SpaceX Dragon CRS-19 cargo freighter atop Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida poised for launch retargeted for Dec. 5, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Ken Kremer

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news. Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics. Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events.

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