Watch SpaceX launch of NASA International Space Station cargo mission live on Tuesday
The International Space Station is due for a restock - and the delivery will be a little more exciting than your average grocery order.
On Tuesday, SpaceX will launch a rocket from Florida as part of Northrop Grumman's 20th NASA Commercial Resupply Services mission. The rocket, which will travel to the International Space Station, is set to arrive at its destination later in the week, delivering thousands of pounds of supplies.
NASA is set to offer live coverage of the launch and mission, complete with live streams available for free on several different platforms. Here's how to watch the launch from the comfort of your own home.
Northrop Grumman Cargo Space Station Mission
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NASA, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX are working in tandem on the mission, which will deliver 8,200 pounds of cargo including science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
This delivery carries equipment to enable ongoing research, such as technology for the first surgical robot on the space station, a 3D cartilage cell culture that maintains healthy cartilage in a lower gravity and a metal 3D printer that will test the capability for printing small metal parts.
The Cygnus cargo spacecraft will be carried on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and is set to arrive at the space station on Thursday, Feb 1 after launching Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
The Cygnus spacecraft, called the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson after the former NASA astronaut, is scheduled to remain at the space station until May, after which it will depart and harmlessly burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
Watch live
NASA's live launch coverage will begin at 11:50 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The involved parties are aiming for the actual launch to occur no earlier than 12:07 p.m. EST depending on launch readiness, which could change.
Watch the NASA stream live on YouTube here:
The coverage will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the NASA website. NASA TV, which is free, can be streamed on a variety of devices and platforms, including Roku, Pluto TV, Hulu, DirectTV, DISH Network, Google Fiber, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.
NASA streams are also available on social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitch.tv and Daily Motion.
Space lovers looking to learn more can register for a virtual launch event and get up-to-date schedule changes, mission information and curated resources sent to their email, as well as a a collectible stamp for a virtual NASA guest passport.
SpaceX launch schedule
Space Flight Now maintains and regularly updates a list of planned orbital missions from spaceports around the globe, allowing SpaceX enthusiasts to keep up with the latest launches. Upcoming events include:
January 28/29
Launch time: 9:57 p.m. PST (12:57 a.m. EST, 0557 UTC)Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CaliforniaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of 22 Starlink internet satellites from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E). The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on the droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ in the Pacific Ocean.
January 30
Launch time: 12:07 p.m. EST (1707 UTC)Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Northrop Grumman’s 21st Cygnus cargo freighter on the 20th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-20. The launch vehicle for this mission was changed from Northrop Grumman’s own Antares 230+ rocket to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ended engine and booster production for the Antares program.
February 6
Launch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. The spacecraft is equipped with instruments to assess the health of the oceans by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae.
February 14
Launch time: TBDLaunch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the IM-1 mission with the Nova-C lander built and owned by Intuitive Machines. The IM-1 mission will attempt to deliver a suite of science payloads to the surface of the moon for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.