A cargo Dragon heads for the space station at dawn Tuesday. Here's when to tune in, and the big station upgrade riding inside.
Falcon 9 is targeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6:33 a.m. ET (3:33 a.m. PT) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
NASA's live coverage starts at 6:15 a.m. ET (3:15 a.m. PT) at nasa.gov/live and on NASA+. Weather or a technical issue could push launch a day.
Dragon packs more than 6,300 pounds of science, supplies and gear, led by the final set of roll-out solar arrays for the space station.
These arrays launch rolled up into compact cylinders. Spacewalkers bolt them onto the station's structure, then they unroll to soak up more sunlight.
The original arrays have aged in harsh sunlight. NASA calls this the final set of new arrays, finishing an upgrade to keep the lab powered.
Lab-grown brain models will spend five weeks in space, helping researchers study Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.
Also aboard: 3D heart tissue models for drug testing, hardware to make artificial retinas in microgravity, and a study of how new glass forms.
Dragon will dock on its own around 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT) Thursday, Oct. 15, at Harmony's space-facing port. NASA's coverage starts at 9:15 a.m. ET.
Dragon stays about a month, then returns time-critical research and splashes down off the coast of California.
It's SpaceX's 35th resupply mission for NASA. Set an alarm for 6:15 a.m. ET Tuesday to catch the climb live.